Strike Action on TfL Services (2)

Keith Prince: Please provide me with a full and up-to-date list of every currently announced strike on TfL services from 20th January 2022 onwards.

The Mayor: The below table lists all industrial action where a mandate for strike action has been reached from 20 January to 24 March 2022. Note that, as at 24 March 2022, the mandate for network wide strike action on London Underground had expired.
Mode
Location
Issue
Dates strike action scheduled to take place
London Underground
Victoria and Central Lines
Imposition of Night Tube duties
Friday 20:30 to Saturday 04:59 and Saturday 20:30 to Sunday 04:29 from 7 January 2022 to 19 June 2022.
London Underground
Network wide
Defence of jobs, pensions and agreements.
Tuesday 1 March 2022, 0001 hours and 2359 hours
Thursday 3 March 2022, 0001 hours and 2359 hours on
Woolwich Ferry
Woolwich
Breakdown in industrial relations
Friday 25 March and Monday 28 March 2022

Met Officers and Staff Resigning or Retiring

Caroline Pidgeon: How many a) Met officers and b) Met staff have resigned or retired while they are the subject of an arrest, summons, charge or criminal court proceeding(s)? Please provide a breakdown of these figures for each year since 2015.

The Mayor: The table below shows the number of Met officers and staff who have resigned or retired whilst subject to arrest, summons, charge or criminal court proceeding(s).
Staff Type
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
Police Officers
11
12
34
25
13
19
6
Police Staff
7
8
7
1
7
3
6
Grand Total
18
20
41
26
20
22
12
Note the years are based on the date the case is received. Figures for 2021 are 01/01/21 - 07/12/21.
Note also that the Police Conduct, Complaints and Misconduct and Appeal Tribunal (Amendment) Regulations 2017 came into force on 15th December 2017. These changes allowed officers subject to misconduct investigations under either the 2012 or 2020 Police (Conduct) Regulations to resign/retire without consent. The changes also mean that it is now possible to pursue officers for gross misconduct after they have resigned or retired.

Extraordinary Funding and Financing Agreement for TfL (7)

Elly Baker: The Extraordinary Funding and Financing Agreement for Transport for London (TfL) for the period to 11 December 2021 required “A joint review of options for longer term reform of the funding framework for Transport for London, including governance and oversight.” This was due by 15 October 2021. Was such a review conducted? If it has, will you publish a copy?

The Mayor: I can confirm that a joint review of options for longer term reform of Transport for London’s (Tf’sL) funding framework was completed and presented to the Oversight Group on 15 October 2021. Given the ongoing discussions over its long-term funding, TfL does not currently have plans to publish this document.

Improving energy efficiency in the GLA Group (2)

Zack Polanski: What is the energy usage in MWh by the GLA Group for the last five years? Could you provide this information by energy source (electricity, natural gas, other)?

The Mayor: The table below shows energy usage across the GLA Group, broken down by energy source. The data below does not take into account the renewable proportion of the standard electricity grid supply or the use of certified renewable electricity or gas through dedicated tariffs.
See Mayor’s Question 2022/0485 for more information on the GLA Group’s energy usage.
Year
Source of energy (MWh)
GLA
TfL[1]
MPS
LFB
LLDC[2]
2016/17
Electricity
3,117
1,534,484
135,758
12,863
2,659
Gas
1,246
74,982
115,272
25,243
*n/a
Renewables
Currently unavailable
200
385
2,744
323
Fuel oil
N/A
N/A
9,077
N/A
N/A
2017/18
Electricity
2,647
1,556,688
3,730
12,121
2,838
Gas
767
75,588
102,229
25,804
*n/a
Renewables
Currently unavailable
200
339
3,110
371
Fuel oil
N/A
N/A
9,077
N/A
N/A
2018/19
Electricity
2,557
1,611,276
116,359
13,353
16,427
Gas
856
73,389
92,224
23,498
49
Renewables
Currently unavailable
200
369
2,690
305
Fuel oil
N/A
N/A
6,247
N/A
N/A
2019/20
Electricity
3,071
1,635,820
108,887
11,807
15,291
Gas
1,180
72,188
95,068
24,105
60
Renewables
Currently unavailable
200
392
3,088
308
Fuel oil
N/A
N/A
4,858
N/A
N/A
2020/21
Electricity
2,578
1,459,688
105,564
11,077
11,055
Gas
1,468
79,649
93,747
25,138
Currently unavailable
Renewables
Currently unavailable
200
464
3,730
337
Fuel oil
N/A
N/A
4,858
N/A
N/A
Notes
Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC) is a sub-tenant to the London Fire Brigade and its data is embedded within the LFB's entry.
[1] TfL generates an estimated 200 MWh p.a. from on-site renewable energy.
[2] *LLDC did not have a contract for gas consumption until 2018/19. The increase in energy usage from 2018/2019 onwards is due to LLDC taking on the London Stadium as a managed asset.

Transport for London – trees in London

Hina Bokhari: How many street trees were removed by TfL due to maintenance or other work in the last year. Please provide a breakdown of the reason for removal. Please also state how many additional trees were planted by TfL.

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) is responsible for circa 24,100 street trees across the Transport for London Road Network (TLRN).
In 2020-21 a total of 848 trees were removed and 717 new trees were planted. New tree numbers were reduced due to the lockdown period over the 20/21 planting season. To ensure the MTS annual target of a 1% increase in trees across the TLRN is met, TfL will plant a further 183 this season alongside those planned to meet the 2021/22 target.
The removal of street trees is closely managed and must meet strict criteria before approval to remove is considered. The 4 core reasons for removal are; highway safety (posing danger to public), natural causes (disease or end of life), development (housing or area redesign) and 3rd party damage.
Unfortunately, we are unable to provide the overall count figures on reason for removal. However, if there is a specific tree removal request, the reason(s) can be provided.

Wembley Stadium Station

Krupesh Hirani: My constituents want the frequency of trains on the Chiltern Line increased, as this will enhance transport options for Brent residents around Wembley Stadium and Sudbury accessing Outer and Central London. Will the Mayor support an increase in services on the Chiltern Line running through my constituency?

The Mayor: In the current timetable, there are on average two trains per hour in each direction calling at Wembley Stadium station. I am aware that there are long-held concerns about the low level of service provided at this and several other intermediate stations on the Chiltern main line.
These stations are located on a busy two-track section of railway, which has to accommodate a range of services between London, Buckinghamshire and further afield to the Midlands. This part of the route is already operating at close to capacity at peak time. Additionally, the length of the station platforms means that only short-formed trains can call there, which excludes the majority of services passing through.
Regular and reliable rail services for all Londoners are crucial for London’s recovery. I will continue to make the case to Government and to train operators themselves for more reliable and frequent commuter services in London; however, it is not clear whether these could practically be delivered here.

Communications Strategy on Cargo Bikes

Hina Bokhari: What efforts have you made in encouraging the wider uptake of sustainable zero-emission freight delivery vehicles, such as cargo bikes, amongst small businesses and traders, through the communication channels available to you as Mayor?

The Mayor: I am committed to making London’s freight transport cleaner, safer and more efficient.
Transport for London (TfL) is working with contractors, developers and other groups to raise awareness of the benefits of using cargo bikes. For example, this has resulted in several trials where cargo bikes have been used instead of motorised transport to bring materials to and from construction sites. TfL is developing a guidance document to help contractors considering using cargo bikes in their construction logistics. TfL is also engaging with the industry to inform the development of a wider cargo bike strategy to be published by the end of the year.
I am also glad that TfL has led by example. TfL’s new highway contract ‘Works for London’, Europe’s largest highway maintenance contract brought in the use of over 100 electric vehicles, with further electrical expansion for commercial vehicles over 3.5 tonne kit after 2025, if current technology trends allow. In addition, cargo bikes are now used for road maintenance in central London and in coming years, this will also be embedded into TfL’s new road technology and bus stop and shelter contracts.

Anti-vaxxers at schools

Tony Devenish: Following reports that anti-vaxxers have allegedly been harassing school pupils outside school gates, including Finchley Catholic High School for Boys, what are you and the Met doing to prevent such occurrences? Have you witnessed similar unacceptable behaviour outside other London schools and colleges, and for other so called “extremist” groups, be it political, religious, climate, others? Please give a detailed considered response.

The Mayor: In response to these protests the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) identified all schools operating as vaccine sites and implemented engagement plans for them. In order to prevent and tackle such occurrences the MPS conducted visible patrols, school visits and had meetings with head teachers.
The MPS intelligence and crime reporting processes for such incidents are regularly refreshed, and they regularly liaise with Schoolwatch and school community volunteers.
Briefings were circulated to all officers advising them that anti-vaccine protests were occurring outside of schools and to be vigilant. The MPS Intelligence Team also continuously monitor for such activity in order to ensure that there is an effective response.

Met Officer Training and Awareness of Chem Sex (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: Are you confident that the Met has the right level of knowledge, understanding and awareness of chem sex practices?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) have established a Chemsex Working Group in conjunction with HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). This brings together a wide range of statutory and non-statutory stakeholders to address ‘crime related risk, harm and vulnerability within the chemsex context’.
Through the Health and Justice Liaison Group and Academic Working Group, sub-groups of the Chemsex Working Group, information sharing and knowledge transfer is now systemic

Impact of COVID on London’s Workspaces

Hina Bokhari: Last year you committed to publishing the results from a range of surveys you commissioned on the impact of COVID on London’s increasingly flexible workspaces and the new ways of working in mid-2022. Please confirm whether a date has been set for publication of the report.

The Mayor: The third survey in a 15-month period of workspace operators and users will take place in May and June. Over the summer, the surveys’ results will be analysed in order to understand the impact of the COVID pandemic on the sector.
The final report will be published in Autumn and will include recommendations on how London’s valuable flexible workspace sector can best be supported.

Predicted Crossrail Usage

Keith Prince: Has the pandemic shifted TfL’s calculations on the extent to which Crossrail will cannibalise the passenger numbers of some Tube lines, as opposed to resulting in increased numbers of passenger journeys?

The Mayor: The Elizabeth line will provide new journey options for customers travelling across the capital, linking Abbey Wood and Shenfield with Heathrow and Reading through central London. Transport for London’s (TfL’s) pre-pandemic forecasts indicated that 77 per cent of Elizabeth line usage once fully open would have come from existing TfL modes, freeing up capacity on some busier London Underground lines, including the Central and Jubilee lines. TfL’s more recent forecasts show that under current demand conditions, this could be up to 80 per cent of the 130m to 170m passengers per annum expected by 2026.

House Price Increase (1)

Sem Moema: How are you working to ensure that Londoners can get onto the housing ladder in the face of such sharp increases in house prices?

The Mayor: My Affordable Homes Programme funds shared ownership and London Living Rent homes to help Londoners who are priced out of the market to access home ownership. Shared ownership allows those with smaller savings to get on the property ladder by paying a lower initialdeposit to buy a share of their home and part-renting the rest of the property with a view to eventually staircasing to full ownership.London Living Rent units are an intermediate rental product which helps households earning less than £60,000 per year save for a deposit to enable them to transition to shared ownership. Since 2015-16 City Hall has funded almost 34,000 shared ownership and London Living Rent starts in London.

Small Sites Small Builder Programme (5)

Sem Moema: What work is being done to set aside a proportion of small sites for gypsies and travellers across London?

The Mayor: My London Plan Policy H14 Gypsy and Traveller accommodation includes a commitment to lead a London-wide assessment of the accommodation needs of all Gypsies and Travellers.
At a local level, when reviewing their Local Plans, boroughs will be required to identify suitable sites, protect existing sites, undertake an audit of existing local authority pitches and plan for the needs of Gypsies and Travellers in line with Policy H14.
While boroughs are responsible for planning for identified need, I am supporting them to meet this responsibility. For example, my Affordable Homes Programme (AHP) for 2016 to 2023 includes funding for improving sites in need of refurbishment or for building new sites, with £1.74m allocated to remodel 37 pitches, and £1.68m allocated for a new build site to date, as highlighted in the table below:
Location
No. of Projects
Refurbishment £
New Build £
Southwark
4
£1,738,258
£0
Sutton
1
£0
£1,680,000

Total: 5
£1,738,258
£1,680,000

Fines for Unscrupulous Trading

Onkar Sahota: A Southall trader selling counterfeit face masks and illicit hand sanitiser bottles has been prosecuted by Ealing’s trading standards and fined £15,000. Is there any action the Metropolitan Police Service could take to deter other rogue traders?

The Mayor: Enforcement of trading standards legislation is primarily the role of Local Authority Trading Standards, however the MPS regularly engages with Trading Standards when the operational need arises or when asked to support local activity.
Front line officers and staff often work closely with Training Standard Officers as part of their problem-solving approach in the prevention of such offences.

House Price Increase (3)

Sem Moema: In your view what steps can Government take to help first time buyers in London get on the housing ladder?

The Mayor: Increased Government funding for affordable housing in London would enable us to meet more of the demand for shared ownership and London Living Rent homes, while also increasing the supply of urgently needed homes for social rent.
Younger Londoners and those on low and middle incomes are often excluded from ownership because of a lack of savings, and providing more support for low and middle income households through funding London Living Rent homes will help more Londoners build up savings to get on the housing ladder in the future. London Living Rent units are a pathway to homeownership by allowing households earning a combined income of less than £60,000 to establish savings to enable them to buy their home on a shared ownership basis.

Breathe London Sensors (1)

Hina Bokhari: Given the high £1920.00 price tag of the Breathe London Nodes, what steps have you taken, e.g. by working together with Clarity and Imperial College London, to make the nodes more affordable to small organisations and low-income Londoners, who are adversely affected by poor air quality?

The Mayor: Historically, air quality monitoring has been undertaken by governments using large regulatory monitors, costing between £15,000 to £100,000. The Mayor has ensured that the Breathe London network offers smaller, lower cost sensors for Londoners to choose their locations. This cost was negotiated to ensure the highest quality data is provided whilst reflecting manufacturing costs.
The cost includes the sensor hardware, servicing, and replacements. Unlike other small sensor networks, it includes data analysis run by scientists at Imperial College, combining Breathe London and regulatory data, ensuring accurate air quality data.
I am funding 136 sensors. Most are at locations with poor air quality, and communities were consulted when locations were chosen. Bloomberg Philanthropies is also funding 60 sensors available to community organisations for free. An independent stakeholder panel advised on the selection process, which included grassroots campaigning in areas of high deprivation and with poor air quality. The first ten organisations will be announced this spring.

TfL’s Decision to create Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) Directorate in 2019

Keith Prince: The documentation you sent in response to Question 2021/2355 clearly shows that, in June 2019, TfL’s Chief Safety Officer Lilli Matson was the ‘owner’ of the change process that created the SHE Directorate she was appointed to in September 2019. This was after, as you stated in your response to question 2019/21052, "an internal recruitment process [that] took place to assess the suitability of potential candidates against the requirements for the role. The successful candidate went through a rigorous two-stage process and was appointed after demonstrating those requirements”. Can you provide (a) a copy of the TfL policy that permits the person charged with creating a directorate to apply to lead it (b) some detail on the recruitment process – including but not restricted to when it took place, and what were the profiles of those who applied – and copies of any decision memorandums that allowed Lilli Matson to apply for a position she was in charge of creating?

The Mayor: There is not a policy precluding individuals applying for particular roles. All applications will be assessed on merit and in line with skills required.
Following internal advertisement/invitation to apply, the current Chief Safety Officer was the sole applicant for the role, and in 2019 undertook a two-stage process to demonstrate that she had the requirements for the role and was filled in line with Transport for London policies.

Right to Buy Back in Ealing

Onkar Sahota: How many homes has Ealing Council bought through the Right to Buy Back scheme so far?

The Mayor: As of 16th March 2022, I have provided Ealing Council with an indicative Right to Buy back allocation of 50 homes.

Lobbying Government about Effectiveness of Masks against Covid-19 (2)

Keith Prince: On what date were masks issued to (a) TfL staff (b) Tube drivers (c) bus drivers?

The Mayor: From 11 May 2020, Transport for London (TfL) provided face coverings to operational and maintenance colleagues (including Tube drivers) undertaking activities where two metres social distancing could not be maintained as well as for any frontline colleague that wished to wear one.
At the same time, TfL also shared advice with the bus operating companies that non-medical face coverings should be made available to bus drivers. The bus operators put arrangements in place accordingly. While masks for bus drivers were mandated in some circumstances, it was discretionary to wear them when in the drivers cab due to the extensive work to seal the gaps around assault screens and covering speech holes.
Once the Government made the wearing of face coverings mandatory on public transport from 15 June 2020, unless exempt, staff were expected to wear them when in any public facing areas unless they were behind a physical barrier.

Mayor’s Academies Programme Outcome

Hina Bokhari: Will you commit to publishing a regular report on the measurable outcomes and progress achieved by your Academies Programme using the metrics of success you referenced in answer to Question 2022/0588?

The Mayor: The Mayor’s Academies Programme (MAP) is a £44m programme designed to help address skills shortages in sectors key to London’s recovery (creative, digital, green, health, social care and hospitality) and support Londoners most affected by the pandemic into good work. It has a number of strands: hubs, which build partnerships between employers and training providers; Adult Education Budget funding for skills support resulting in employment; provider accreditation to recognise good quality training; bespoke support for excluded and underrepresented groups with the Workforce Integration Network; a communications campaign; and capital funding, subject to availability.
Key outcomes and progress will be reported via the Good Work for All quarterly dashboard presented to the Assembly Performance and Audit committee. In addition, the MAP has commissioned an independent evaluation which will present interim findings on hub activity after one year of delivery. Key findings from this report will be published on our website.

Hate Speech towards Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Communities (2)

Hina Bokhari: Will you consider creating a dedicated GLA-funded training programme for local authorities to help educate councillors and staff on how to stamp out racist hate speech directed at the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities?

The Mayor: Anyone who is a victim or witness of racist hate speech, whoever it is directed at, should report it to the police. Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community organisations were among those participating in my “Together Against Hate” outreach programme last year, which included disseminating an understanding of what hate crime is and what to do when it occurs, with hate crime materials appropriate to each participating community. My Shared Endeavour Fund also supports a wide range of projects which counter all forms of racism, hatred and intolerance.
MOPAC has also invested over £4M in local authority hate crime projects through the London Crime Prevention Fund. We do not prescribe what those projects should be, but would support any project that aims to stamp out racist hate speech.
MOPAC has no plans to fund additional training programmes directed at local authority councillors or staff with that specific aim.

The Mayor: Anyone who is a victim or witness of racist hate speech, whoever it is directed at, should report it to the police. Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community organisations were among those participating in my “Together Against Hate” outreach programme last year, which included disseminating an understanding of what hate crime is and what to do when it occurs, with hate crime materials appropriate to each participating community. My Shared Endeavour Fund also supports a wide range of projects which counter all forms of racism, hatred and intolerance.
MOPAC has also invested over £4M in local authority hate crime projects through the London Crime Prevention Fund. We do not prescribe what those projects should be, but would support any project that aims to stamp out racist hate speech.
MOPAC has no plans to fund additional training programmes directed at local authority councillors or staff with that specific aim.

International Women’s Day 2022

Marina Ahmad: How did the GLA mark International Women’s Day this year?

The Mayor: On 8 March 2022, I was pleased to launch a new menopause policy that will apply to City Hall staff. This new policy will put in place practical steps to better support women and all colleagues going through menopause transition at City Hall, and introduce measures to shift perceptions surrounding menopause in the workplace.
The GLA Women’s Network hosted an interactive lunchtime presentation workshop on 8 March with Susan Heaton-Wright, Consultant and Coach from ‘Superstar Communicator’, to understand unconscious bias, damaging stereotypes and how we can consciously change the way we make decisions and treat others to help forge the way for a more inclusive world. Almost 100 staff attended the live session, which was also recorded and then shared in our Core Briefing on 11 March, hosted by GLA Chief Officer Mary Harpley.
The Women’s Network also shared a blog about IWD and Women’s History Month on 25 February.

Co-housing (5)

Nicholas Rogers: What role do you think co-housing can play in London’s housing environment?

The Mayor: London’s homes must meet the current and future diverse needs of Londoners, and it is critical that existing communities are included and engaged in all new development. In some cases communities want to take their involvement in development one step further by delivering homes themselves, and I am providing grant funding through my Community Housing Fund to enable this to happen. In these cases, it is right that community groups themselves determine the tenure and type of community-led housing that best meets needs. Cohousing, with its intentional communities and focus on enabling peer support and communal amenities, is clearly one valuable approach within the spectrum of community-led housing.

Outer London Town Centres Fund

Elly Baker: Please update me on your plans for an Outer London Town Centres Fund that will improve public transport and walking and cycling options in boroughs on London’s outskirts.

The Mayor: London’s town centres are vital to London’s economy and are crucial for meeting the needs of Londoners and those who work in and visit London. Town centres and high streets also have a high social value, providing access to a range of shops and services, employment opportunities, social contact, and information and support as well as embodying the heritage, local culture and community soul of an area. London’s town centre network promotes a broad distribution of centres of different roles and sizes across the capital.
That is why I set up the High Streets for All recovery mission following the pandemic. As part of the work supporting this, TfL have started to build a more detailed understanding of Outer London town centres that will help support considerations on how best to fund, operate and implement an Outer London Town Centres Fund. Financing such a fund will be challenging if there continues to be a shortfall in the funding we receive from the Government.

Healthy Children

Emma Best: What actions are you taking to improve and promote better health in children across London?

The Mayor: I am passionate about improving the health of London’s children, especially given the impact the pandemic has had on physical and mental wellbeing.
Through our ‘Healthy Place, Healthy Weight’ mission, we’re working with partners to ensure that, by 2025, London’s children and families will find it easier to eat healthy food and be active where they live, learn, shop, work and play. Our creation of 50 more School Superzones, focusing on areas with greatest deprivation, will be critical.
A peer-reviewed, independent analysis found that as a result of our policy to restrict advertising of less healthy food across TfL networks, households bought 1,000 fewer calories in less healthy foods per week, with a significant decrease in sugar purchased.
My Healthy Early Years London and Healthy Schools London programmes have supported over 4000 schools and nurseries across the capital. I’ve commissioned a review to ensure they continue to have maximum impact.
We’ve also made changes to through the London Plan and the new London Schools Pollution Helpdesk to support child health.
And the now-expanded Ultra Low Emission Zone has had a huge impact on air quality, including for young Londoners, so we’re soon to consult on expanding the benefits to the whole of London.
The ‘health in all policies’ approach is really important if we are to really make a difference, and I will continue to prioritise child health across our work at City Hall.

Co-housing (1)

Nicholas Rogers: How many up-and-running (i.e. built and inhabited) co-housing projects are there in London and in which boroughs can they be found?

The Mayor: There is no comprehensive register of up-and-running cohousing projects in London. I am aware of two up-and-running schemes that meet the UK Cohousing Network’s definition of cohousing. These are Copper Lane Cohousing in LB Hackney and New Ground Cohousing (OWCH) in LB Barnet.

Co-housing (2)

Nicholas Rogers: How many other groups in London are currently pursuing co-housing projects (i.e. groups that are in the process of construction but that have not yet been completed their projects) and in which boroughs can they be found?

The Mayor: My community-led housing pipeline includes five cohousing projects which have feasible sites and are engaged in discussions with the relevant Local Planning Authority. They are in Newham, Waltham Forest (2), Tower Hamlets and Enfield. None are yet in the process of construction.

Co-housing (3)

Nicholas Rogers: What is the total number of co-housing units in London?

The Mayor: Please see my response to Mayor’s Question 2022/1234. The two up-and-running cohousing projects known to me comprise 31 homes. The number of cohousing homes within my community-led housing pipeline is 51 homes.

Extraordinary Funding and Financing Agreement for TfL (1)

Elly Baker: The Extraordinary Funding and Financing Agreement for Transport for London (TfL) for the period to 11 December 2021 says “HMG would also consider reducing government supervision: ending, for instance, the presence of HMG special representatives on TfL’s board. This will only be possible if HMG can be satisfied (via the Oversight Group) within the 2021 Funding Period that the measures set out in this letter to put TfL on a financially sustainable footing are being and have been progressed.” Given HMG special representatives remain in place under the 25 February 2022 agreement, can we conclude the Government does not think TfL is making adequate progress? Is this your understanding of the Government position and have they explained what needs to happen for the governance to be relaxed?

The Mayor: While Transport for London (TfL) is receiving extraordinary funding from Government, and working on the conditions set by Government, the Oversight Group remains in place and the Government special representatives will continue to be invited to the TfL Board. TfL has been working well with the Oversight Group, through regular monitoring and responding to a high volume of queries and requests for information, and also progressing the deliverables set out in the 1 June 2021 funding agreement. To date TfL has submitted the required deliverables set in the 1 June letter, and the extension to the 4 February. There are a further 18 deliverables as part of the 25 February 2022 agreement, and TfL has already delivered two of those. There are also a number of ongoing requirements within the funding letter dated 25 February 2022.
TfL is working on a longer-term funding solution with Government and working towards financial sustainability by April 2023, some of which will be achieved by delivering the Government conditions. I expect that at that point, Government will review the need for continued oversight.

Tube crime

Susan Hall: For each year 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 how many crimes were committed on tube trains broken down by line and crime type?

The Mayor: Please see the attached table showing the crime type broken down by crime type and Tube line.
The data provided in the attached is provided by the British Transport Police (BTP) and held by Transport for London (TfL). This is based on recorded crime data. TfL does not hold data prior to April 2015.
Due to the global pandemic in 2020, ridership on the transport network fell dramatically, which also affected crime volumes. In some cases, volumes more than halved, although crime rates per million passengers increased.
Crime statistics should also be viewed in context. For example, stations with higher passenger footfall/ridership inevitably generate more reported crime than those with lower footfall. On-train crime happens along the route of the train but is generally recorded at the end station or terminus station, meaning figures could be higher at these stations. It should also be noted that crime statistics are not always accurate indicators of risk. Police activity to target particular offences, changes in reporting methods, and other factors can affect reported crime figures.
Millions of journeys are made every day on TfL’s public transport networks, with most of them going without incident. The safety and security of customers the top priority for me and TfL, which is why it continues to fund and work in partnership with the BTP and other police forces to prevent crime on its network, encourage and make it easier for victims of crime to report incidents, and provide support for those affected.
In addition to this, there is an extensive CCTV network, and thousands of frontline transport staff and enforcement officers to keep customers safe.

The Mayor: 0210 ATTACHMENT.xlsx

Public Inquiries (2)

Susan Hall: To date what has been the cost of the Child Abuse Inquiry to the Met?

The Mayor: Operation Winter Key was formed in 2015 as a response to the MPS being a core participant in the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) and additionally to investigate allegations of non-recent child sexual abuse involving people of public prominence and/or institutions. 233 investigations were completed and 350 charges secured.
The cost of Operation Winter Key is Police Officers, Police Staff and Supplies & Services from 2016 to March 2021 were £26,353,762
Operation Winter Key closed on 18/10/2021.
MPS Legal fees from 2015 were £490,958

Fraud and Cyber Crime

Neil Garratt: We know that fraud and cyber crime represent 53% of all crime, and is growing. Often this type of crime requires very different skills from traditional policing. Does the Mayor agree that the current uplift in police numbers is a golden opportunity to recruit new specialist officers with these skills?

The Mayor: All front-line policing teams are trained to provide an initial response to reports of cybercrime, identifying and prioritising those who are most vulnerable and at the highest risk. Due to my investment and the national uplift in police numbers, the MPS now has over 33,300 officers. By the end of the month, it will have more officers than it has ever had it its history, but our population has grown by 1.1 million since 2010 and crime has become more complex.
Dedicated teams with specific skills are also needed, although these do not necessarily have to be police officers.
The MPS is increasing specialist resources to its new Emerging Threats team, which deals with sophisticated cyber threats, and investing in new bespoke capabilities to enable the team to combat cyber-enabled fraud.
The police officer uplift is important, but a broader approach needs to be taken to secure the right skills in the right place – and the Government has a duty to make sure this is properly funded.

Prison places

Susan Hall: Following the Government commitment to increase prison places by 20,000 what conversations have you had with ministers and civil servants to ensure London benefits from this?

The Mayor: The Government have decided that the majority of new prison places will be created outside London in prisons being newly built in Wales, the Midlands and the North. This will have some benefits for London, in easing the overcrowding in the whole system and providing more decent and secure places for London prisoners, who are often held outside London.
From dialogue with HMPPS we understand that there is consideration of extra prison places located within London and I will continue to advocate for this as a way to improve the resettlement and effective management of prisoners by holding them closer to their homes, families and potential future employers. Building on the Prison Pathfinder pilots, I am continuing to work with London prisons to ensure that effective work is done in custody to reduce violence and reoffending, both in prison and after release.

WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities Award (2)

Emma Best: What was the total prize money received from the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities Award for the ULEZ?

The Mayor: Please see 2022/1177.

Action Against Developers Failing to Support those Caught up in the Building Safety Crisis

Hina Bokhari: The Secretary of State for the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) stated in a recent letter to developers that he would consider “restricting access to government funding and future procurements” if they did not make the necessary financial contribution and undertake remediation work on their existing stock. Will you take a similar line with developers you are working with through your Affordable Homes Programme, and if not, why not?

The Mayor: The building safety crisis has arisen due to systemic failings across the board. I have long called for developers and those responsible to contribute towards remediating unsafe buildings but only government can legislate to compel them to do so. I welcome the proposed amendments to the Building Safety Bill setting out national legal powers to force developers to contribute to fixing the problems they played a part in causing.
I recognise the need for industry to be reformed with a safety-first approach and for safer homes to be built, and I’m using my powers to achieve this in London. Under my Affordable Homes Programme, social landlords wishing to bid for funds have to meet new conditions on building safety, sustainability and design. This includes the installation of sprinklers or other automatic fire suppression systems in new purpose-built blocks of flats of any height and a complete ban on combustible materials in the external walls of new residential buildings of any height.

Streetspace and Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (1)

Len Duvall: What learning has been made from the implementation of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods as part of the StreetSpace scheme in 2020?

The Mayor: The introduction of emergency Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) was a key part of the Streetspace programme, delivered in response to the pandemic with the aims of providing space for social distancing and encouraging active travel. The main benefit of LTNs is to reduce short journeys by car, helping tackle the triple dangers of air pollution, the climate emergency and congestion, whilst also improving public health and tackling health inequalities which have been exacerbated by the pandemic.
Data from Transport for London’s (TfL) most recent annual Travel in London (TiL) 13 and 14 reports show LTNs have a range of different and interconnected impacts. The evidence suggests that these are largely positive and that it is in the longer term where most of the benefits become apparent. We know that pan-London support for LTNs outweighs opposition and that they are effective in increasing active travel and reducing car use as well as improving public perceptions of the public realm. They are more likely to be located in deprived areas, increase safety from reduced road danger and, emerging evidence suggests, have some effect on reducing street crime. Therefore, LTNs could play an important role in tackling wide health inequalities in London.
In addition, TfL and I recognise consultation and engagement are key to successful schemes and this was confirmed with the rapid delivery required at the start of the pandemic that left some unhappy with the schemes. Transport for All also published the ‘Pave the Way’ report, giving us views from disabled people on LTNs, suggesting they hold both positive and negative opinions on LTNs. The change in DfT guidance that required pre-engagement before delivery was therefore very welcome and TfL made it clear in their subsequent guidance the importance of consultation and engagement with all members of the community.
TfL and London’s boroughs will continue to monitor LTNs and, where appropriate, conduct further research and evaluation of LTN impacts.

Continuing Face Mask Usage

Krupesh Hirani: I continue to wear face masks on public transport and within confined spaces. The public health advice is to continue to do so, but the Government has decided not to make it a requirement. You have made mask-wearing a condition of carriage on TfL services, so people can be asked to leave or prevented from boarding, if they do not comply. What are the current compliance rates on TfL services?

The Mayor: Research has shown that a good-quality face covering can help reduce the chance of catching coronavirus and passing it onto others, and face coverings have also played an important role in giving people confidence to use public transport throughout the pandemic, particularly people who are clinically vulnerable.
Whilst Transport for London (TfL) removed the condition of carriage in February, it continues to strongly recommend face coverings on all TfL services and stations for those who are able to wear them. TfL made this decision having reviewed case numbers and public health advice. TfL also had regard to the Government’s shift in approach to ‘living with the virus’ and the resultant drop in compliance cross the network that this decision had, as well as the limited enforcement powers that TfL had once the national regulations were removed.

Supporting Women from Ethnic Minority Communities into the LFB

Hina Bokhari: Please update me on work being undertaken and progress in supporting more women from ethnic minority communities to join the LFB.

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade (LFB) has been piloting targeted social media campaigns, predominately on Facebook, to women in London boroughs which are ethnically diverse such as Croydon and Brent. As a result,over 150 expressions of interest have been received to date. These individuals will be invited to attend an information session to learn more about the role, meet other Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic firefighters and receive support with preparing their fitness.As the pilot is successfully attracting this target group, further digital marketing campaigns are currently in development and will be running from February 2022. LFB has also developed a campaign entitled ‘You can’, to attract talent from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities. The campaign features images of LFB female staff from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds to encourage potential members of the public to ‘aspire to what they see’ and apply for roles within the Brigade.

TfL Pension Reform

Keith Prince: Assuming it reduces TfL’s pension contributions to the public sector average, how much should pension reform save TfL per year?

The Mayor: As a condition of Transport for London (TfL’s) Extraordinary Funding and Financing Agreement with Government, TfL is carrying out a review of its pension scheme. Following the requirement from Government, TfL appointed Sir Brendan Barber to conduct an independent review of the TfL pension scheme. I will not comment further until the outcome of this review has been concluded on the 31 March 2022.

London Underground Congestion Control and Emergency Plan

Emma Best: Are there any outstanding recommendations from any London Underground Congestion Control and Emergency Plan reviews in the last year?

The Mayor: There are currently no outstanding actions from the annual review of the Congestion Control and Emergency Plans for London Underground stations. Any changes to procedures and processes that happen locally as part of any reviews are made as soon as practicable.

Air Quality Monitoring (1)

Tony Devenish: Why is TfL not carrying out detailed air quality monitoring of the area next to the temporary cycle lanes on Park Lane?

The Mayor: Together with the London Boroughs,I undertakemonitoring of air quality at over 150 monitoring locations, in addition to community-basedmonitoring using sensors as part of the Breathe London network.This helps to identifytrends in air quality over time taking into accountchangesto the wider road network andtraffic flowsas well as influence from other sources of air pollution. TfL continues to monitor the impactsofthe Park Lane scheme on traffic flows in the area in addition to theprimarybenefitsofthe scheme,whichis designed toprovide more safe and attractiveactivetravelopportunities.

Shared owners and lease lengths (2)

Siân Berry: Thank you for your answer to my question 2021/0029. Could you: a) update me on any response Deputy Mayor Tom Copley has received from housing sector partners on providing 999-year leases as standard, and b) update me on any response received from former Secretary of State Robert Jenrick (or his successors) on reviewing longer standard lease terms?

The Mayor: The housing sector has responded positively to the terms set out the for the Affordable Homes Programme 2021-26. Allocations for 29,456 affordable homes were announced on 31 August 2021. Further to this, the Capital Funding Guide and standard Funding Agreements have been updated to confirm expectations that leaseholders of shared ownership homes are offered 990 year leases under this programme.
On 1 April 2021, government responded positively to the Deputy Mayor's representations, announcing that new leases on new build homes under the new shared ownership model throughout England shall be 990-years as standard.

Repair, reuse and share

Zack Polanski: As part of your plans to support London’s recovery from the pandemic, will you create a new fund to support: a) councils and local enterprises to use empty high street shops and council buildings (including temporary and meanwhile use) to provide a repair centre on every high street, b) universities and colleges to create reuse and repair workshops, and c) the establishment of a ‘library of things’ in every borough, where residents can borrow infrequently needed household items, such as power tools, sewing machines, specialist cooking, cleaning and decorating products, electronics, camping equipment and luggage?

The Mayor: In tackling the climate emergency it is vital that we take better care of the things we already own and make more productive use of them. Two of my recovery programmes are already supporting this in London:
My High Streets for All Challenge is providing £4 million funding to local partnerships to develop plans for underused high street buildings and spaces. The building of a community with circular economy principles at its core is an important aspect of this programme which includes the development of a Circular Economy Hub for Hackney Wick and circular economy activities supporting high street businesses in Sutton.
My Future Neighbourhoods 2030 programme is supporting a green recovery in deprived and climate vulnerable neighbourhoods. £3 million stage 1 funding is supporting initiatives in Notting Dale (RBKC) and Somers Town (Camden). Projects include a library of things, repair workshops, a circular economy market, re-use depot and support for local circular economy enterprises. Both involve local partnerships including universities, boroughs, local enterprises and community groups.

Reducing diesel use in London

Zack Polanski: What is the expected impact of your 27 per cent traffic reduction target on diesel usage in London?

The Mayor: My Accelerated Green pathway sets out how we can achieve net zero carbon in London by 2030. Emissions savings in the transport sector will come from a combination of switching to public transport and active travel, the adoption of zero-emission vehicles, and a reduction in vehicle km travelled. Whilst the Accelerated Green pathway sets out the reduction in diesel vehicle km, further analysis is now required to understand the expected impacts of specific policies, including on diesel and petrol consumption.
The proportion of diesel vehicles is already declining in London thanks to having tightened and accelerated the introduction of the Low and Ultra Low Emission Zones. However, it is clear that policies in my Transport Strategy should be accelerated to achieve the Accelerated Green pathway. This is why I am pushing forward with plans to consult on expanding ULEZ Londonwide in 2023, and have instructed TfL to explore how smart and fair road user charging could be implemented by the end of this decade.

Foreign Ownership of Property (1)

Sem Moema: How many affordable homes do you estimate would be constructed in London if taxes on foreign ownership were to be imposed?

The Mayor: I have called for the government to raise taxes on foreign property owners by raising the empty homes premium for overseas owners of empty properties, raising capital gains tax from 28 per cent to 40 per cent for overseas buyers, and increasing the Annual Tax on Enveloped Dwellings for overseas companies with large property portfolios in London.
If these measures were introduced, they could raise up to £370m a year, depending on whether behaviours change in response. Assuming that the Treasury agreed to earmark revenues for housing and a grant subsidy level of £150,000 per home, these measures could fund nearly 2,500 affordable homes per year for Londoners.

Foreign Ownership of Property (2)

Sem Moema: What would happen to foreign owned property in London if it were to be seized? Is there a chance it could be sold off to fund even more affordable housing or even be turned into affordable housing directly?

The Mayor: At present there are no powers to seize foreign owned property in London. The volume of potential receipts would depend on the detail of any enabling legislation, as would responsibility for deciding on the use of those receipts.

Small Sites Small Builder Programme (1)

Sem Moema: Is it possible for you to update us on the progress being made on your Small Sites Small Builder Programme?

The Mayor: The evaluation of the Small Sites Small Builders (SSSB) programme will be released shortly. It will reflect on the success of the programme to date and draw on case studies that show how the programme has worked in practice to support 59 sites to come to the portal from eight public landowners, encouraged new entrants to the small builder/developer market and activated local supply chains. In addition over 30 sites have received capital funding to unlock physical barriers to delivery.
The SSSB newsletter now has over 2,000 subscribers from a range of different organisations seeking to be notified of opportunities coming to the market. A further pipeline of sites will be released over the next 12 months ensuring a sustainable offer to the small and medium sized enterprises that have signed up to be notified

Small Sites Small Builder Programme (2)

Sem Moema: How many affordable homes have been built as a result of the programme? What potential is there to go further on this?

The Mayor: To date the sites offered through the portal/in receipt of capital funding have not been systematically reviewed to gather data on completions. The funding supports initial promotion/site preparation works and there has been limited resource to undertake a full review of the projects to date, however a review of sites to date will form part of the next phase of the programme which will be launching later this year. Please note the first sites are only now nearing completion and so data on how many affordable homes have been built is yet to be gathered.

EWS1 Forms (1)

Sem Moema: How much does the average External Wall System 1 (EWS1) Form cost to obtain and complete?

The Mayor: Given that EWS1 is an intrusive assessment, the cost of obtaining one can vary depending on the size and complexity of the building, the difficulty accessing sample areas, and whether a fire engineer is required. Based on reports from partners and leaseholders, I know that EWS1 forms cost between £6,000 and £10,000.

EWS1 Forms (2)

Sem Moema: We have seen examples where leaseholders have been charged thousands of pounds to receive an EWS1 Form. Without it they have been unable to sell their property. How can we ensure there is fairness in how London’s leaseholders are charged?

The Mayor: The cost of an EWS1 form is determined by a variety of factors. Leaseholds should have an expectation of transparency and it should be clear how prices are calculated. As noted by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, EWS1 assessments can only be commissioned by building owners or their managing agents. It is their responsibility to ensure they are communicating proactively both the costs of EWS1 and the mechanisms to pay for them.
My EWS1 best practice guidance, which was published in February 2022, provides further guidance for building owners and managing agents in how they can ensure transparency for leaseholders.

EWS1 Forms (3)

Sem Moema: What impact has scrapping the requirement for an EWS1 Form on buildings under 18m in height had on properties in London?

The Mayor: EWS1 forms are an industry-wide process to support the valuation of flats in buildings that may need cladding remediation. The process was created to simplify the sales process and maintain transactions during a time of systemic crisis following the Grenfell tragedy. However, they are not mandatory requirements.
Government’s emphasis on proportionality aims to move the lending industry towards a position where EWS1 forms are required only in a limited number of cases. The publication of the PAS9980 guidance reflects this intention. PAS9980 replaces the Consolidated Advice Note, which led to EWS1 assessments being required for buildings of any height. PAS9980 offers guidance on how to assess external wall systems in a proportionate way, accounting for various risks factors beyond height. The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors’ guidance on EWS1 also takes a proportionate approach. However, the decision to require EWS1 forms ultimately falls on lenders and is guided by their own risk appetite.

EWS1 Forms (4)

Sem Moema: What support are you providing to Londoners who require an EWS1 Form?

The Mayor: I am sympathetic to the struggles Londoners have faced in trying to secure an EWS1 form. My housing team collected evidence last year which showed too many landlords and building owners were communicating poorly with leaseholders and overlooking the impact of the inability to secure an EWS1.
In response my Homes for Londoners board asked Geeta Nanda, chair of the G15, to chair a task and finish group to work with partners to identify best practice. This resulted in my EWS1 best practice guidance, which I published last month. The guidance offers 20 best practice recommendations that are intended to improve the experience of leaseholders who need or are waiting for an EWS1 assessment for their buildings. The guidance stresses the need for a more proactive and consistent approach to communications, beyond EWS1.
As you know, EWS1 is not a statutory form, which means there are limited ways in which I – or the government - can intervene. However, I am committed to encouraging landlords across the social and private sectors to sign up to the EWS1 best practice guidance. I will publish landlords who have signed up to the guidance on the GLA website. I believe the implementation of the guidance can deliver immediate benefit to leaseholders across London.

Wood Burning Awareness-raising Project (2)

Hina Bokhari: Please set out a detailed timeline for when you will be launching the London-wide wood burning awareness-raising project.

The Mayor: Defra have just announced the projects they will be funding through their air quality grant programme. We will now establish a project steering group with the lead boroughs, Camden and Islington, and confirm a detailed timeline for the project.
The draft project timetable has the research element of the project starting later this year and running through to March 2023. The behaviour change and awareness element of the project would then follow, with campaign messages and assets informed by the research element of the project. The public behaviour change and awareness campaign would then follow that later in the 2023/24 financial year.
This timeline may be refined in agreement with the boroughs.

Rebuilding Trust plan: dip sampling (2)

Caroline Russell: Thank you for your answer to my question 2022/0041 on the dip sampling of sexual misconduct and domestic abuse cases where those accused remain in the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). In your answer, you said: “These reviews are on-track for scheduled completion by February 2022, alongside an insight report to capture any identified organisational learning.” Could you confirm whether these reviews have now been completed and if so, what has been learned from them?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has assured me that this work is at an advanced stage and due to be completed shortly. I will discuss the findings and learning from the review of the dip sampling of sexual misconduct and domestic abuse allegations with the MPS at the first available opportunity.

London Progression Collaboration Apprenticeships (2)

Hina Bokhari: Please state how the transferred £9m in unspent apprenticeship levy from large employers to smaller businesses through the London Progression Collaboration provided dedicated support to (a) disabled Londoners and (b) ex-offenders, helping them into work.

The Mayor: The London Progression Collaboration (LPC) was not set up to target specific groups, but rather to explore ways of adapting the apprenticeship levy system to create more apprenticeship opportunities for all Londoners.
The key performance metrics for the LPC are the number of businesses supported, the amount of levy transferred, and the number of apprenticeships started / sustained.
However, as part of the LPC offer employers are signposted to relevant third sector organisations to support learners with additional needs. It is vital that underrepresented groups who often face barriers in finding and progressing in work are supported to do so. This is a key objective of much of our skills activity. For example, disabled Londoners are a priority group for my Academies programme, which will support Londoners into jobs and training (including apprenticeships) in sectors key to London’s recovery.
We are also supporting ex-offenders to access training via the £3m Positive TurnAround project and investment in the training restaurant at HMP Wormwood Scrubs.
Skills Bootcamps that we will be commissioning will also be open to serving prisoners near to their release and those on Temporary Release, as well as ex-offenders.

London Progression Collaboration Apprenticeships (1)

Hina Bokhari: Please state the exact number of new apprenticeships created through your London Progression Collaboration, which was delivered in conjunction with IPPR and JP Morgan foundation.

The Mayor: As of 1 March 2022, the London Progression Collaboration’s (LPC) ‘Reskilling the Recovery’ campaign has received pledges of over £9m of apprenticeship levy from large levy-paying employers to transfer to smaller non levy-paying employers to create new apprenticeship opportunities in London.
To date, 764 apprenticeships have been created by the LPC, with commitments from employers to create a further 147 apprenticeships in the coming months.
The LPC has been successful in securing additional external funding to continue delivery of the service post GLA involvement (which comes to an end on 31 March 2022), and as such many more apprenticeships will be created using the unspent levy pledged as part of the campaign.

Small Sites Small Builder Programme (3)

Sem Moema: What is the future of this programme and is it possible for it link to your Small Sites London Plan Guidance which is currently been consulted on?

The Mayor: My Good Growth Directorate has secured revenue funding for a further three years to support public landowners to bring small sites to the market and a commitment has been made to manage the programme from within Housing and Land. The close collaboration between Housing and Land and Good Growth will continue to draw on the strengths of each to ensure that the programme addresses land release, develops the cohort of small builders/developers by encouraging new entrants to the market and also generates additional local economic benefit through the use of local supply chains. One specific link between the programme and the Small Sites Design Codes London Plan Guidance is the identification of small sites to help bring them forward for development.
The next phase of the programme will consider how to improve the knowledge sharing between public landowners and promoting a range of guidance that has been prepared both in relation to the London Plan but also by boroughs or independent organisations.

Small Sites Small Builder Programme (4)

Sem Moema: How are you working with public landowners to identify more small sites in London?

The Mayor: My Public Land team in the Housing and Land directorate meets regularly with a range of public landowners in London to discuss opportunities coming forward and the routes that sites might be presented to the market to ensure that the release of small sites enables development of housing, particularly by small and medium sized organisations. The Public Land team brokers connections between organisations to ensure that the land release is as efficient as possible and that knowledge is shared between organisations. The Public Land team also works with One Public Estate to promote the support that it can give to partners to release sites.
As part of the Public Land team, the Small Sites Small Builders programme will continue to offer revenue funding for public landowners to access to support for site identification and due diligence to assess the suitability of sites, once identified, for housing development.

Online Fraud

Tony Devenish: During a recent meeting of the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee, AGE UK said that there is more you can do you protect older people from online fraud, including:

• Bringing community organisations, adult safeguarding teams, the Met and your office together to share best practice and understand what is effective;
• Improving and increasing access to courses for staying safe online, including using the Adult Education Budget;
• Helping to distribute information on staying safe online through GP waiting rooms, pharmacies, leaflets in prescriptions and community notice boards.

Will you consider implementing these suggestions?

The Mayor: Fraud is not a victimless crime, it can and does have a devastating impact on people’s lives, particularly the most vulnerable including older people. I recognise the steep rise in cases of online fraud in London and nationally. That is why my new Police and Crime Plan sets out my plans to develop an evidence base to underpin our future work in tackling these crimes. I will lobby the Home Office and College of Policing to commission research to understand ‘what works’ in preventing fraud. And I will hold the MPS to account for their performance and effective engagement with other law enforcement agencies to drive fraud prevention work forward.
In March 2022, my team at City Hall hosted a roundtable specifically focused on older victims of crime, scams and fraud. We brought together representatives from Age UK London and Age UK Camden, Action Fraud, the MPS and MOPAC. A further stakeholder meeting between MOPAC, the MPS and the National Trading Standards scams team is scheduled in April 2022 to discuss good practice in crime prevention. We will continue this collaborative work to address issues affecting older victims of online fraud.

Privately Owned Public Spaces (2)

Sakina Sheikh: How will your Public London Charter ensure that Privately Owned Public Spaces are available for all Londoners?

The Mayor: The Public London Charter applies to public spaces proposed as part of new developments, regardless of their ownership. The charter consists of eight principles that set out the rights and responsibilities for the users, owners and managers of new public spaces. All of these principles, but in particular the following: (1) Public Welcome; (2) Openness; and (4) Community focus, require inclusivity in the design, operation, management and use of new public spaces across the capital.
Applicants will be required to demonstrate through a management plan how the requirements of the Public London Charter principles will be met and agree to implementation of these measures through a legal agreement (such as a s106 agreement). Therefore, the Public London Charter will ensure that new public spaces remain open and accessible to all Londoners. I also encourage landowners of existing public spaces to adopt and implement the Charter’s principles.

NPCC Framework for dealing with violence against women and girls

Unmesh Desai: How will the MPS need to alter its approach to dealing with serial perpetrators of domestic abuse as a result of the recently introduced NPCC Framework for dealing with violence against women and girls?

The Mayor: The MPS’s VAWG Action Plan, launched in November 2021, sets out how it is tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) in London. Specifically, this plan prioritises increasing the number of perpetrators brought to justice for VAWG, directly supporting Pillar 2 of the National Police Chiefs Council’s (NPCC’s) national framework for policing VAWG – relentless perpetrator pursuit.
Their approach to tackling serial perpetrators of domestic abuse (DA) includes the introduction of its Predatory Offender Units (POUs), whose remit is to tackle the highest harm offenders who pose a safeguarding risk to adults or children. It also includes its Operation Dauntless+ programme, which identifies those accused or suspected of DA related crime against multiple victims.
The DA Matters training, rolled out to nearly 7,000 frontline officers, is helping to improve the MPS’ ability to identify and support victims of DA to prevent serial perpetration.
Further information can be found in previous published questions to the Mayor on this topic – 2019/8981, 2021/3157 and 2021/3952.

Shared ownership homes in London (2)

Siân Berry: Thank you for your answer to my question 2021/4448. Do you have any plans to collect data on shared ownership homes, including the number built since 2016 that have been turned into social rented, London Affordable Rent or Affordable homes by local authorities and Housing Associations?

The Mayor: I have no plans to attempt to collect additional data on shared ownership homes. There are a number of scenarios in which housing providers may amend the tenure mix of the homes they build, at different stages of development including planning, financing, building and marketing. Building a robust data set for change in tenure would present a coordination challenge for datasets maintained by different authorities and organisations.

Stop and swab by police (2)

Caroline Russell: What legal basis was used to justify the ‘stop and swab’ of people entering two licensed premises in Curtain Road EC2A between 6 and 12 December 2021 shown in the @MetPoliceUk tweet of 2 January 2022?

The Mayor: The MPS have informed me that the use of swabbing to detect traces of drugs on the hands of individuals was a condition of entry required by two licensed premises. This was not a standalone check but was part of wider activity by the venue dealing with entry, which also included their staff searching bags on entry. The MPS worked in partnership with the relevant premises to promote the approach to improved safety. Those wanting to attend the venues were informed that the swabbing was voluntary but those who refused were not allowed entry to either venue.

Building Public Confidence in the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

Krupesh Hirani: I am setting up walkabouts with police teams in my constituency. What further action can the MPS take on a constituency level to ensure the public has confidence in it, following much-publicised incidents of misconduct?

The Mayor: I have been very clear with the Met police the scale of the change I believe is urgently required to rebuild the trust and confidence of Londoners in the Met and to root out the racism, sexism, homophobia, bullying, discrimination and misogyny that still exists.
The Met has set out an immediate set of actions to start to rebuild trust and confidence, published on their website Rebuilding trust | Metropolitan Police.
The work is organised under three headings:
I will hold the MPS to account to deliver on these commitments and improve levels of trust and public confidence. I continue to support the MPS efforts through the provision of over £5 million within my Action Plan on Accountability, Transparency and Trust in policing. This funding will support the development of community outreach, community led training and a career development service.
Partnership working at a local level is key to growing trust and confidence and the MPS is developing more work with communities. The 'Ride Along' scheme and local weapon sweeps would be further examples of positive ways the MPS is engaging and working with the local communities to rebuild trust. I have also committed to overhauling local scrutiny/engagement mechanisms, and consultation events were held throughout 2021 by my Office for Policing and Crime and the full review will begin imminently.
Having a representative police service is crucial to increasing trust and confidence. The MPS Outreach Team have a calendar of outreach events, including in your Brent and Harrow constituency. MOPAC has agreed to a Community Outreach Fund for communities to get involved in this work. For more details about the outreach events and how communities can apply for this fund please email the MPS Outreach Team at [emailprotected]

Residency criteria

Caroline Russell: On 15 February 2022, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) announced the temporary removal of the London Residency Criteria for recruiting new officers. Are you concerned that removing these criteria will reduce the number of new recruits that reflect London’s cultural diversity?

The Mayor: The MPS remains fully committed to the recruitment of a diverse workforce with the skills and understanding to effectively police London.
The MPS has achieved record officer growth. By the end of March 2022, it will have more officers than at any time in its history. This level of growth requires the MPS to attract twice as many applicants as usual and so it must broaden its appeal by temporarily lifting the London residency criterion.
The MPS will continue to deploy a range of measures to support its ambitious diversity aspirations including the use positive action and equal merit provisions.
I have been clear that increasing representation in the police officer workforce is a priority and I will continue to support the MPS’s efforts through the provision of over £5 million within my Action Plan on Accountability, Transparency and Trust in policing. This funding will support the development of community outreach, community led training and a career development service.

Action on Domestic Abuse (2)

Krupesh Hirani: How are you supporting survivors of domestic abuse in Brent and Harrow?

The Mayor: To date I have invested over £60m in tackling VAWG and supporting survivors and on 17 March announced allocations of £11.3m for domestic abuse (DA) services to support victims and survivors of DA in safe accommodation.
MOPAC commissions a range of specialist services for victims and survivors of DA including the London Victim and Witness Service, Galop, and partnerships led by Southall Black Sisters, Asian Women’s Resource Centre including the Ending Harmful Practices Helpline, Women and Girls Network, and Solace.
Additional MOPAC funded support is available through the DAWN Charitable Trust, who provide VAWG counselling in Harrow, and the DA perpetrator service, Culturally Integrated Family Approach (CIFA), which operates in Barnet, Brent, and Enfield. Furthermore, Brent and Harrow use funding from the London Crime Prevention Fund, allocated to all London boroughs, to pay for specialist locally commissioned DA provision.

House Price Increase (2)

Sem Moema: The average house price in London is now just shy of £630,000, do you believe this is sustainable in the long term?

The Mayor: Unfortunately, experience suggests that extremely high house prices can be sustained in London for a long time, especially when there is such a large and enduring shortfall in housing supply. That’s why I am so determined to build more homes across London, particularly affordable homes for those who cannot afford to buy or rent on the market.

Noise on the London Underground (2)

Caroline Pidgeon: Given the increase in complaints from Londoners, what active steps are you taking to address and fix excessive noise pollution created by London Underground trains across the network?

The Mayor: Tube noise remains a priority for both me and Transport for London (TfL), and TfL understands the importance of minimising noise levels for its neighbours, customers and staff.
TfL continues to regularly monitor noise and vibration levels across the Tube network and carries out practical action to alleviate known resident concerns where possible. Despite its financial challenges, TfL continues to invest in London Underground track renewal and maintenance, including a continuous programme of rail grinding and track modernisation. In the last 6 months, TfL has undertaken around 15,000 metres of rail-grinding that works to address Tube noise by smoothing corrugated rails, which is the principal cause of track noise. TfL also carries out other targeted track interventions in specific areas to reduce noise.
In addition, TfL continues to explore other potential solutions. Rail track fastenings can reduce noise levels by lifting the rail and reducing the vibration caused as the train moves over that section of rail. On the Jubilee line, TfL has successfully trialled the replacement of a track fastening product, Pandrol Vanguard, with an alternative product, Delkor. The initial results show reduced in-carriage noise as well as maintaining benefits to residents. TfL is now prioritising the replacement of Pandrol Vanguard in areas where in-carriage noise is a significant issue.

District Heating Networks

Siân Berry: People who live in apartment blocks that are part of a District Heating Network (DHN) are treated as commercial rather than domestic users and are therefore not covered by the energy cap.In the London Plan it states that you are: “exploring how to increase the rate of their development in London, which will require central government to create a level playing field for the treatment of district heating networks compared to other statutory utilities regarding access rights and business rates.” What action have you taken to lobby the Government on this and what response have you received?

The Mayor: My London Net Zero 2030: An Updated Pathway report shows the important role that district heating networks (DHNs) can play in delivering a net zero London. However, they must also provide good value for consumers. I agreed with the Competition and Markets Authority call for DHNs to be regulated, to ensure consumers are provided with the same levels of protection, on price and quality of service, as direct energy consumers.
The UK Government has now committed to regulating heat networks through its Market Framework. My officers have engaged with government departments to help shape this regulation, including attending working groups and responding to their consultation.
Heat network consumers are currently not all covered by the existing domestic price cap but once regulation is introduced, the regulator will have the powers to regulate prices in the sector. This regulation is an important step forward and government should introduce it as soon as possible.

Permitted development rights for conversion from shops to housing

Siân Berry: What data are you collating on the number of conversions of commercial premises to residential properties on London’s high streets under permitted development rights, and where is this information published?

The Mayor: As part of analysis conducted at the end of 2021 to understand the impacts of the increased permitted development rights, officers in the GLA Planning Team produced a dataset for all of London on all permitted development types, together with mapped constraints. This is available at Datahub prior approvals analysis December 2021 - London Datastore
We are currently looking at how to incorporate information on permitted development rights into the Annual Monitoring Report for the London Plan.

Women’s Night Safety Charter (1)

Elly Baker: TfL have signed up to the Women’s Night Safety Charter. Can you provide an update on how TfL is meeting the seven pledges of the charter which are:
Nominate a champion in your organisation who actively promotes women’s night safety


Demonstrate to staff and customers that your organisation takes women’s safety at night seriously, for example through a communications campaign


Remind customers and staff that London is safe, but tell them what to do if they experience harassment when working, going out or travelling


Encourage reporting by victims and bystanders as part of your communications campaign


Train staff to ensure that all women who report are believed


Train staff to ensure that all reports are recorded and responded to


Design your public spaces and workplaces to make them safer for women at night

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) was one of the founding signatories to the Mayor’s Women’s Night Safety Charter. TfL has been working with the Night Czar, City Hall colleagues, and the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime to deliver on the Charter’s seven pledges and make transport and travelling safer for women and girls.
Pledge 1 – Lilli Matson, Chief Safety Officer and Siwan Lloyd Hayward OBE, Director of Compliance, Policing, Operations & Security, are the Champions for the Charter within TfL.
Pledge2 – Tackling sexual harassment and working to improve the safety of women and girls has been a priority for TfL for many years. TfL demonstrates its commitment through its action, internal and external communications, stakeholder engagement, funding, and working with the police to tackle violence against women and girls. One notable example is the ‘zero tolerance to sexual harassment’ multi-media communications campaigns launched across TfL networks in October 2021. This builds on TfL’s work with its policing partners as part of Project Guardian and the ‘Report it to stop it’ campaigns to tackle sexual offences on public transport.
Pledges 3 and 4 - The ‘zero tolerance to sexual harassment’ campaign includes posters, website information, social media, podcasts, editorial content, leaflets and face to face engagement. It aims to send a clear message to offenders that sexual harassment will not be tolerated and gives information to staff and customers about what to do if they experience or witness it on TfL’s networks. In addition to this, TfL has produced advice for bystanders on how they could safely intervene in incidents and is promoting this as part of the sexual harassment campaign. TfL is also rolling out signage across its network to improve crime reporting information for customers.
Pledges 5 and 6 – Staff training is an important part of TfL’s activity to tackle sexual harassment. Training is being rolled out to frontline customer facing staff, starting with 500 TfL enforcement officers, which began in November 2021. The training covers prevention, care and support for victims, ensuring that all reports are taken seriously and dealt with compassionately, and protocols for reporting to police. In parallel, TfL is raising awareness of the role of frontline staff through internal communications and briefings.
Pledge 7 – Safety is at the core of TfL’s design of public spaces and its workplaces. TfL is working with the GLA family, organisations and academics to look at what more can be done through its planning, design and management of public spaces to make them safer, and feel safer, for women and girls. TfL has a number of measures in place to protect and support female colleagues to feel safe while working at night, including buddying systems, body worn cameras and emergency communication devices.
As London’s transport authority, TfL is committed to playing a full role in making our city a safer place for women and girls. It knows that accelerating change means looking far beyond what it’s already doing, and it will continue to work with its partners, customers, communities and women’s organisations to build on the work that is already taking place.

Building Safety in London

Anne Clarke: According to industry experts at least 163 buildings under 18 meters in height, including residential buildings and schools, have started construction (since the Grenfell tragedy) with dangerous cladding on them. Can you confirm whether any of these residential buildings currently being constructed are in London and what impact this will have on the pressures already facing Londoners this winter?

The Mayor: It is concerning that over 4 and a half years after the Grenfell Tower Fire, there are still new buildings being constructed with flammable cladding. I have been clear that fire risk does not follow strict height thresholds and have called for the combustibles ban to apply to all new buildings, irrespective of height or use. This is why I have applied the ban to my Affordable Homes Programme 2021-26 and to developments on GLA land secured through my London Development Panel 2. My draft London Plan Guidance also sets out a requirement that any major development will not contain combustible materials in their external walls. I have published the guidance for consultation and intend to gather feedback on the implications of this policy.
Due to limited official data on the building materials used in developments, it is difficult to ascertain how many buildings in London are being constructed with flammable cladding that would not be allowed in buildings over 18m under the Building Regulations.

Drug driving 2

Keith Prince: What are you and the MPS doing to tackle drug driving in London?

The Mayor: The Roads and Transport Policing Command lead enforcement activity in relation to drug driving in support of Vision Zero. Due to the links between violence and drug use they are supported by suitably trained officers within MO7 Taskforce and the Violent Crime Task Force.
The MPS continues to support the annual NPCC drink and drug drive campaigns, which includes increased drink and drug drive patrols at key times of day, public education and engagement at transport hubs, and increases in lab analysis.

Hate crime golden hour response time

Unmesh Desai: What proportion of hate crimes were dealt with within one hour, following the “Golden Hour” principle, in each of the last 4 years? Please provide this down by type of hate crime if possible.

The Mayor: The ‘Golden Hour’ principle is generally applied in a major crime setting and refers to that immediate period post-offence when arrest and forensic opportunities are at their maximum.
However, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) does not have a metric for hate crime which would allow this question to be answered.

Vehicle theft

Tony Devenish: What action are you and the MPS taking to tackle vehicle theft in London and to increase the number of perpetrators who are caught?

The Mayor: In my Police and Crime Plan, I have stressed the importance of community safety partners responding to the crime and anti-social behaviour which most concerns Londoners. In my plan I have committed to work to reduce neighbourhood crimes such as burglary, robbery and vehicle crime, and increase the number of offenders sanctioned for their crimes.
To achieve this, I will continue to support visible neighbourhood policing, which has been increased for this term with 650 additional police officers dedicated to high crime areas and town centres across London. Local MPS teams will also focus on reducing current and emerging priority crime types in the communities they serve.

Wood Burning Awareness-raising Project (1)

Hina Bokhari: What metrics will you be using to assess the success of the wood burning awareness-raising project, which you referred to in answer to Question 2022/0582?

The Mayor: Defra has just announced the projects they will fund through their air quality grant programme. We will now establish a project steering group with the lead boroughs, Camden and Islington, and confirm detailed metrics to assess success. The project inception meeting will take place in April 2022.
The initial metrics which were included in the application to Defra for the behaviour change and awareness raising element of the project are:
These metrics were submitted at an early stage for the purpose of monitoring and evaluating the impact of the project. The approach and metrics may be refined as the project is implemented.

Low Traffic Neighbourhoods

Nicholas Rogers: Please outline how the MPS would have input into discussions around Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and other road schemes. For example, was the MPS consulted on the provision of a dedicated cycle lane on Cambridge / Kingston Roads connecting Kingston with New Malden?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) is a statutory consultee on road schemes, as set out in the 1984 Road Traffic Regulation Act and DfT guidance, and both Transport for London and London boroughs routinely engages with it in line with these processes.
The MPS has participated in discussions and provided feedback relating to London Streetspace schemes, which were delivered at an accelerated pace during the pandemic (in line with Government guidance). The Royal Borough of Kingston led the engagement on Streetspace schemes on its roads between Kingston and New Maldon, so please refer any detailed queries regarding this scheme to the Borough.

A316 Crossing

Nicholas Rogers: Please outline any plans - current or previous - for the installation of a surface-level crossing between Jubilee Avenue and Meadway across the A316. If previous plans have not been progressed, please outline the reasons why.

The Mayor: There were historic proposals to introduce an at-grade crossing at this location in 2008. However, at the time – which pre-dated my Healthy Streets policies – the plans did not progress due to the impact on traffic flow and cost constraints.
A request for an at-grade crossing on the A316 between the junctions of Rosebine Avenue and Bridge Way (further along the A316) was received in March 2020 from a member of the public, to help pedestrians access Whitton High Street from the south side of the A316. However, this location is not a high priority for investment based on Transport for London’s safety and risk data – and there are other higher risk locations in greater need of its very limited funding.
A crossing is proposed nearby at Langhorn Drive, as part of the redevelopment of the Richmond College site, which, if delivered through third party funding, would help accommodate crossing movements in this area.

SmartWater

Nicholas Rogers: What is the Met’s policy on the use of SmartWater spray as a means of personal protection for domestic abuse victims, as currently being trialled by a number of UK forces including West Yorkshire?

The Mayor: The effectiveness of forensically marking a perpetrator in this way and bringing them to justice is yet to be fully understood. However West Yorkshire Police have reported positive outcomes for repeat victimisation, deterrence and victim confidence. The MPS is aware of the pilot in West Yorkshire and will be looking at lessons learnt.

Promotions of officers in Stephen Port case

Unmesh Desai: Have any of the officers initially served with gross misconduct notices by the IOPC in relation to the Stephen Port case since been promoted to a higher rank?

The Mayor: Following the independent investigation by the Independent Office of Police Conduct, nine officers were subject of a performance related outcome – not misconduct findings.
Of the nine, seven received Management Advice and two received Unsatisfactory Performance Process (UPP) procedures.
Of the nine, five have been promoted:
The promotion process requires officers to go through a broad and rigorous assessment to demonstrate they have the skills to perform at a higher rank. The MPS has also engaged line managers to confirm all those subject to the IOPC investigation who are still in the Met are performing to the expected standards.
The IOPC have confirmed that they are considering whether to re-open their investigation.

Tube toilet maps (3)

Caroline Russell: Given that over 200,000 Londoners over the age of 75 lack internet access, what additional plans are under consideration to increase passenger awareness about the location of toilets on the Transport for London (TfL) network, beyond the online Tube toilet map and the upgrade to TfL Go?

The Mayor: All stations have the pocket Tube map which shows which stations have toilets either in the station or nearby. Please see my answers to 2022/0494 and 2022/0495

Tube toilet maps (2)

Caroline Russell: Will you add the information on the Tube toilet map to Underground maps displayed on trains, platforms and stations outside the gate line, to ensure accessibility for digitally excluded Londoners?

The Mayor: The pocket Tube map, which shows those stations that have toilets either in the station or nearby, is available at all stations.Customers can also download a Tube map and a specific toilets map on the TfL website. All stations with toilets have clear signage in place in the station itself. The Tube map that is displayed in trains only shows central London stations, while the pocket Tube map which is available at stations includes all stations.
1) Tube Map - https://tfl.gov.uk/maps/track/tube
2) Toilet Map - https://content.tfl.gov.uk/toilets-map.pdf

Unexplained Wealth Orders (2)

Unmesh Desai: Can you provide:
a) a breakdown of how many Unexplained Wealth Orders (UWOs) linked to Russian oligarchs, businessmen and associates of President Vladimir Putin have been obtained in London over the last five years?
b) how many interim freezing orders were enforced as a result of these UWOs being issued?

The Mayor: The enforcement authorities that can apply for Unexplained Wealth Orders (UWOs) under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 are the NCA, HMRC, Financial Conduct Authority, the Director of the Serious Fraud Office, and the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Police forces are not able to apply for UWOs and therefore the requested data is not available to the MPS.

Extraordinary Funding and Financing Agreement for TfL (4)

Elly Baker: The Extraordinary Funding and Financing Agreement for Transport for London (TfL) for the period to 11 December 2021 says, “TfL will carry out a review of their pension scheme and reform options with the explicit aim of moving TfL’s Pension Fund into a financially sustainable position. TfL will provide a final list of assessed options under consideration by the Review to HMG by no later than 31 October 2021. TfL will deliver an interim report no later than 11 December 2021”. Can you confirm that the final list of assessed options and the interim report have been provided to the Government by the deadlines? Will you be publishing those documents when the final review is published?

The Mayor: In July 2021, Transport for London (TfL) appointed Sir Brendan Barber to independently conduct a review of TfL’s pension arrangements. Sir Brendan submitted to TfL a final list of options on 28 October 2021 and an Interim Report on 9 December 2021, which were both immediately sent to Government. Sir Brendan is due to submit his Final Report by 31 March 2022. Once the Final Report is received, it will be sent to Government and then published in full. The previous submissions will be published at the same time.

Austin Road Estate, Hayes

Onkar Sahota: My constituent is unhappy with how Hillingdon Council is treating her with regards to the Austin Road Estate regeneration. She has rented there for 15 years but faces a seven- or eight-year wait to be rehoused if the project proceeds. Can you clarify whether your plans to reform the private rented sector would see waiting lists of this length significantly shortened?

The Mayor: My London Model proposals would not automatically prevent private tenants in homes earmarked for demolition as part of estate regeneration plans from being evicted from their homes. Nor would they necessarily reduce demand for social housing – except insofar as a more secure private rented sector may be more palatable for some Londoners.
However, I am using both my planning powers and my investment programmes to deliver the additional social rented homes that Londoners need. This will, in time, reduce the length of time for which those in greatest need of social housing wait to secure a tenancy.
You don’t specify the current tenure of your constituent – whether she’s a private sector tenant on the Austin Road Estate seeking social housing, or a council tenant there. In either case, she and other residents would be able to vote in the ballot that – in my understanding of the Council’s proposals – will be a condition of any GLA funding for regeneration. This will give them a real say in the future of their estate, including scope to influence Hillingdon Council’s offer to residents (which will form the focus of any ballot).

Domestic abuse within same sex relationships

Caroline Russell: How many reports of domestic abuse within same sex relationships have been recorded by the Metropolitan Police Service in each of the years since 2006?

The Mayor: Please find the requested information attached to this response.
Please ensure the notes page is read in conjunction with this information to aid in interpretation. The low volumes recorded in 2006 are due to the flag forDAwithinsamesexcouples being introduced in mid-November 2006.

The Mayor: 4078_Domestic abuse within same sex relationships.xlsx

TfL funding by year and source

Siân Berry: The Transport for London (TfL) website has published a simple guide to how it is funded for several years. Could you provide a table summarising this information as value and proportions by year since 2014, splitting it into: a) fares income, b) other income, c) grant funding from the DfT, d) grant funding from the GLA, e) Crossrail funding and f) borrowing and cash movements. Could you also provide a breakdown of the ‘other income category to show commercial income and income from the congestion charge, T-charge, ULEZ, LEZ and other charges for vehicles?

The Mayor: Please find data attached.

The Mayor: 0070 - TfL funding by year and source.xlsx

Vehicles for disabled people (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: Keepers of vehicles registered with a 'disabled' or 'disabled passenger vehicles' tax class benefit from a grace period where they are exempt from paying the ULEZ charge until 26 October 2025. This is valid as long as their vehicle doesn't change tax class. Will you encourage DVLA to actively inform disabled people of this entitlement?

The Mayor: Taxation class is determined by the DVLA and neither I nor Transport for London (TfL) are able to influence the outcome of its decisions about a vehicle’s taxation class status.
The ‘disabled’ and ‘disabled passenger vehicles’ ULEZ exemption is applied automatically by TfL to all UK-registered vehicles that qualify for the relevant tax class and therefore there is no action required either by the keepers or by DVLA.
A 'disabled' vehicle registered outside the UK is stillexempt from paying theULEZ chargeduring the grace period, however in these cases the keepers will need to register with TfL to benefit from the exemption.
Disabled people over state pension age whose vehicle does not have a ‘disabled’ or ‘disabled passenger vehicle’ tax class can apply directly to TfL for the grace period if they are in receipt of Attendance Allowance and hold a Blue Badge.

Vehicles for disabled people (2)

Caroline Pidgeon: Keepers of vehicles registered with a 'disabled' or 'disabled passenger vehicles' tax class benefit from a grace period where they are exempt from paying the ULEZ charge until 26 October 2025. This is valid as long as their vehicle doesn't change tax class. What steps will TfL take to recognise the long delays that often occur in the administration of these benefits or appeals? Will TfL retrospectively pay back the ULEZ charge to anyone who faced excessive delays but was ultimately successful in qualifying for the relevant benefit?

The Mayor: As I said in my response to Mayor’s Question 2021/4768, the exemption is applied automatically to all relevant UK-registered vehicles. Transport for London (TfL) unfortunately is not able to determine whether a person would be successful in their application for disability benefits while the application is still underway, and therefore is unable to determine a person’s exemption status before the outcome of a successful application or appeal.
TfL does not issue refunds in cases where drivers may experience delays in determining their eligibility. This is consistent with the approach taken by TfL for other road user charging discounts and exemptions.

Wick Road A12 Junction

Sem Moema: Hackney's Living Streets Group, Councillors, and residents have frequently raised road safety-related concerns on Wick Road's A12 Junction and bend. There have been several car accidents on this road involving cyclists. Campaigners have advocated for a signalled junction or pavement build-out which narrows the crossing and slows down the turning speed. Will TfL consider delivering road safety improvements on Wick Road’s A12 junction?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) plans to reduce the speed limit to 20mph along this road, subject to investigations and securing appropriate capital funding from the Government. There are no further measures planned at this location.
The speed at which people are driving or riding is the single most important determinant of both the likelihood of a collision and the severity of the outcome, with a pedestrian hit by a vehicle travelling at 20mph being up to five times less likely to be killed than if they were hit at 30mph.
TfL is aware of requests for further measures at this location but it has to prioritise its limited road safety funding at locations where there is the greatest opportunity to reduce road danger. In the last 36 months to February 2022, there have been two slight incidents recorded at the A12 East Cross Slip Road and Wick Road. Other junctions being taken forward have reported a higher number of incidents.

Unexplained Wealth Orders (1)

Unmesh Desai: Can you provide:
a) a breakdown of how many Unexplained Wealth Orders (UWOs) have been obtained in London over the last five years?
b) how many interim freezing orders were enforced as a result of these UWOs being issued?

The Mayor: The enforcement authorities that can apply for Unexplained Wealth Orders (UWOs) under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 are the NCA, HMRC, Financial Conduct Authority, the Director of the Serious Fraud Office, and the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Police forces are not able to apply for UWOs and therefore the requested data is not available to the MPS.

Mental Health Awareness Training in the Met

Caroline Pidgeon: Please provide details of the mental health awareness training given to officers in the Met, how often such training is refreshed and whether it is mandatory or not.

The Mayor: In accordance with the National Police Curriculum, all police recruits receive training on mental health awareness in the context of policing.
Officers are taught to utilise the Vulnerability Assessment Framework when supporting members of the public. The framework assesses five key components, including the individual’s appearance, behaviour, capacity for communication, whether they pose a danger to themselves or others, and the nature of the event that has caused police contact.
Any cause for concern is expected to be addressed accordingly - be it immediate medical or other assistance, or slower time referrals to social services / other support agencies. All new police officers must also complete a mandatory online learning package entitled ‘Mental Health’, as part of their foundation training.
Officers undertake annual Public and Personal Safety Training (PPST). This training is mandatory for all officers up to and including the rank of Superintendent. The training combines theory with practical experience and includes scenario discussions and role plays that highlight best practice, de-escalation and fair outcomes when dealing with those suffering mental ill health and/or learning disabilities.
The MPS has just begun work on rolling out ‘Respond’ Training to front line officers. Respond is a multi-agency simulation training package for professionals involved in mental health crisis care. Those officers that complete this training will become local mental health advisors within their teams.
Finally, a pilot is being trialled with the charity Mental Health First Aid England, to train officers in mental health first aid. Volunteers will attend the initial course, and then deliver the training to their respective teams.

Reducing pollution fairly

Zack Polanski: After your announcement of a London-wide ULEZ, what are your next steps to further reduce pollution in London in a fair way?

The Mayor: I want all Londoners to benefit from cleaner air. Although we have made great progress, we still need to reduce car traffic by 27 per cent to ensure London can be a net zero carbon city by 2030. That’s why I’ve asked TfL to consult on expanding the ULEZ London-wide in 2023.
Ultimately, the long-term – and fairest – solution to the pollution, climate and congestion challenges London faces will be smart road user charging.
This could replace schemes such as the Congestion Charge and ULEZ, and allow for different rates to be charged to reflect distance, time, emissions, road danger and other factors in a fair and simple way. I’ve asked TfL to explore how this could be developed for implementation.
Fairness is always at the heart of these policies. Applying the ‘polluter pays’ principle, we ask those who emit the most to do their bit, while providing support for those least able to contribute.
Fairness also means recognising that cities cannot solve the pollution crisis by themselves. The Government must do the right thing for outer Londoners this time around, and finally provide financial support for scrappage schemes in London, as they have already done for cities around the UK.

Police Estate (2)

Caroline Pidgeon: Can you confirm that it is not a legal requirement for MOPAC to sell police buildings at market value?

The Mayor: MOPAC is currently seeking legal advice regarding its statutory duties in respect of disposals, and will do everything it can to ensure site disposals are put to the best possible use.

Refreshed Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy

Caroline Pidgeon: When will your refreshed VAWG Strategy finally be published?

The Mayor: The refreshed VAWG Strategy for London will be published in the coming months, following continued engagement with partners and the publication of the Police and Crime Plan.

Criteria for satisfactory progress with strategic estate regeneration projects (2)

Siân Berry: Thank you for your answer to my question 2022/0519. Could you tell me: a) where the results of these case-by-case assessments of satisfactory progress are published, and b) which estate regeneration projects – by name – have had their estate ballot exemption status overturned and the reasons why?

The Mayor: On point a) of your question: to date, very few of the estate regeneration projects that secured funding from my 2016-21 Affordable Homes Programme and had been granted exemption five have also sought funding from my 2021-26 programme. Only one needed to be assessed against the criteria set out in paragraph 8.6.27 of my Resident Ballot Requirement, as the others were seeking funding for additional phases that were not part of plans at the point exemptions were granted for funding secured under my 2016-21 programme. This meant they became subject to the resident ballot requirement, in line with paragraph 8.6.21 of my funding condition.
Where assessments are required, I do not publish my team’s decisions. This is in line with not publishing details of other routine decision-making related to implementing my Resident Ballot Requirement. Doing so would be resource-intensive and potentially compromise commercial sensitivities.
On point b) of your question: of the estate regeneration projects that secured funding from my 2016-21 programme and transitional exemptions, and that then sought funding from my 2021-26 programme, none had those exemptions overturned. However, some projects that were exempt are now subject to the requirement, for the reason explained above.

Met Police Commissioner selection 2

Susan Hall: Have you had a conversation with the Home Secretary on the selection of a new Met Police Commissioner, if so, what was said?

The Mayor: I will work closely with the Home Secretary on the appointment of a new Commissioner so that we can move quickly to restore trust in the capital’s police service while keeping London safe.
However, it would be inappropriate to give a running commentary on these discussions.

Met Police Commissioner selection 1

Susan Hall: How much say will you have in the selection of the new Met Police Commissioner?

The Mayor: Unlike other Police and Crime Commissioners across the country, as Mayor of London, I do not directly appoint the Metropolitan Police Commissioner. The Met Commissioner is appointed by the Home Secretary, who must have ‘due regard’ for my views.
I have committed to Londoners that I will not support the appointment of a new Commissioner unless they can clearly demonstrate that they understand the scale of the cultural problems within the Met and the urgency with which they must be addressed.
I won’t be giving a running commentary on the selection process but will continue to work closely with the Home Secretary on the appointment of a new Commissioner so that we can move quickly to restore trust in the capital’s police service while keeping London safe.

Night Surgery participants

Zack Polanski: Data are not currently collected on the number of individual participants at the Night Czar’s Night Surgeries. Will you collect this information for future Night Surgeries?

The Mayor: My Night Czar carries out night surgeries planned in partnership with local authorities and businesses. They include visits to meet residents and community groups, businesses, councillors, night time workers and volunteers. They also involve being on the street and on public transport where she can talk to members of the public to understand their views on London at night.
The range of people and professions participating in a night surgery is varied and it is this variety which makes these evenings so useful, enabling us to hear from night time stakeholders on a range of issues. My 24 Hour London team has started to document the number of individual participants the Night Czar meets on night surgeries.

Wandsworth One way system

Leonie Cooper: What progress has been done on the business case for the Wandsworth One way system to go to Government in August and has the council been in contact to help with the case?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has been progressing the development of the scheme’s business case in parallel with optimising the design to provide the maximum benefits for all road users. The aim is to make TfL’s submission to the DfT as robust as possible, hopefully securing the essential Major Road Network funding required for the scheme.
TfL meets regularly with the London Borough of Wandsworth (LBW) to discuss progress and LBW are actively engaged with the design and business case work, including the overall ambition to deliver a revised road layout to increase active travel and economic growth within the town centre area.

Estate ballot process review (7)

Siân Berry: In your response to the City Hall Greens budget amendment proposing a Resident Empowerment Fund, you said: "Estate residents may choose to reject proposals through voting or abstention if they are not confident, for any reason, that the proposals they have been offered are right for them or their community.” This reads as though abstention from voting in a ballot amounts to rejection of the proposals. Could you confirm whether this is the case? If it is, will you update your estate regeneration guidance and Resident Ballot Requirement Funding Condition documentation to reflect this?

The Mayor: No, abstention does not constitute a rejection of proposals. My Resident Ballot Requirement clearly states, at 8.5.7
A positive ballot is one where there is a simple majority of those eligible residents voting that choose “yes” – that is, in favour of the Landlord Offer to regenerate the estate. There is no minimum threshold for turnout in a ballot.
I have no intention of changing this.
An outcome is determined by how many residents vote for and against proposals. If estate residents are not confident, for any reason, that the proposals in their landlord’s offer aren’t right for them or their community, they may choose to vote to reject them. They may also choose to abstain from voting, but this will not be taken into account when determining the result of a ballot.

MPS complaints by borough

Caroline Russell: Could you provide the number of complaints that Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officers have received since 2016, breaking this figure down by: a) borough, b) unit, c) type of complaint, and d) outcome of complaint?

The Mayor: Please see attached the requested information. The notes below should be read in conjunction with the data to aid in interpretation.
In 2019 the MPS moved to the Basic Command Unit (BCU) model, this amalgamated all 32 boroughs into 12 BCUs. At this point the MPS Directorate of Professional Standards recorded complaints by BCU rather than Borough. In the timeframe available to respond to this question, the MPS were only able to supply data by BCU.
Please also note that regulations introduced in 2020 made changes to how complaints and outcomes are recorded across England and Wales.
Figures for 2022 are up to and including the month of February.

The Mayor: 1017_MPS complaints by borough_spreadsheet.xlsx

Single Staircases in Tall Buildings

Sakina Sheikh: Should there be a defined height for when only having one staircase in a tall building is appropriate? What impact would this have on the capital?

The Mayor: The approach to these matters must be informed by the operational needs of the London Fire Brigade and the need to provide a safe means of escape from people’s homes and from the buildings where they work and visit. I have repeatedly stated that the fire safety requirements in the national Building Regulations are not fit for purpose and the progress of reform is too slow. This deficiency is acknowledged by the Government’s Statutory Consultee for fire safety, the Health and Safety Executive, which has stated on planning applications for very tall residential buildings that ‘there is potential for the single escape stair to be simultaneously used by residents escaping from the building and firefighters proceeding to the scene of operations’. That is why my recently published draft Fire Safety London Plan Guidance requires developers to provide a rigorous assessment of the number of stair cores provided based on factors such as the proposed evacuation strategy, the height of the building, the number of fire evacuation lifts, and the anticipated number of occupants and to include clear mitigation measures, where required, to ensure safe evacuation in the event of an emergency.

Ventilation and TfL

Len Duvall: My constituents have raised issues of ventilation on TfL services. In the light of Omicrom has TfL considered any additional measures that could further improve ventilation on TfL services?

The Mayor: London’s transport network is already well ventilated. Train and bus doors open frequently which ensures a regular exchange of air across the public transport network, while the constant movement of trains draws fresh air into the system. In the deeper Tube lines, ventilation shafts and fans supplement this air movement. Buses, which are cleaned daily, have windows that can be opened to increase the supply of fresh air and these have been modified where possible to keep them propped open. Buses are also fitted with a range of air filtration and ventilation systems that are regularly maintained.

Small Sites LPG (1)

Sakina Sheikh: How will your Small Sites London Plan Guidance (LPG) document unlock the potential to build more homes that London needs?

The Mayor: The Small Site Design Codes London Plan Guidance (LPG) promotes the use of area-wide design codes and identifies common opportunities for incremental housing development with information about how to approach these e.g. backland, corner plots, upwards extensions etc. Where appropriate, local planning authorities and neighbourhood planning groups should prepare these area-wide design codes and once adopted for a specific area, use them to assess proposed development on small sites within these areas. By providing greater clarity over what is acceptable on small sites from the outset, small site design codes should help de-risk the planning process and lead to more homes being approved.

Planning in the Levelling Up White Paper

Sakina Sheikh: What is your assessment of the reforms to the planning system mentioned in the Government’s Levelling Up White Paper?

The Mayor: I look forward to the Government publishing details on the reforms, at which point I will be able to give a comprehensive response. Until then, I welcome the Government’s ambition for a planning system which delivers the high-quality, beautiful and affordable homes we need. My London Plan and supporting guidance already includes some of the proposals, for example design codes to ensure beautiful and sustainable development. I also support measures to improve Compulsory Purchase powers which will aid regeneration of brownfield land.
However, I am concerned that the proposed Infrastructure Levy will undermine the planning system and risk a lengthy period of uncertainty and upheaval. The current Section 106 process for developer contributions – while not perfect – makes a huge contribution, delivering almost 50% of all affordable housing. There is a broad consensus across both the public and private sectors that the Infrastructure Levy would result in significantly less affordable housing and infrastructure, whilst also putting development at risk.
We are seeking to continue to work with Government on reforms to the current system which could help deliver more beautiful and sustainable places to live.

Small Sites LPG (3)

Sakina Sheikh: How are you encouraging councils in London to build on small sites?

The Mayor: My Small Sites Small Builders programme supports London Boroughs to build on small sites through the provision of revenue and capital funding.
The revenue funding supports site identification and/or due diligence on identified sites to ensure that boroughs are pursuing sites that are appropriate for development. I have recently agreed a further three year programme of revenue funding to continue the programme.
The recent evaluation of the programme indicates that the Boroughs that have engaged with the programme have found it very useful in supporting their development programme and all boroughs noted that without the support of the programme the sites would have progressed “at a slower pace” or “probably would not have progressed”.
The capital funding programme has supported boroughs to prepare the sites for development, either for sale or for retention within the borough’s estate. It has also encouraged new entrants to the market and activated local supply chains. To date 33 sites in seven boroughs have received capital funding to unlock barriers to delivery.

Small Sites LPG (2)

Sakina Sheikh: How many homes do you estimate could be built on Small Sites across London using the criteria and options set out in the LPG?

The Mayor: The London Plan sets out a 10-year minimum target of 119,250 homes to be completed on small sites and encourages boroughs to prepare area-wide housing design codes to proactively increase housing provision on small sites through incremental development.
The Small Site Design Codes London Plan Guidance (LPG) aims to empower planning authorities and neighbourhood planning groups to prepare these area-wide design codes for small sites. The LPG is clear that these design codes are a key mechanism for delivering a borough’s small sites housing target. As more of these codes come into operation, we will monitor their impact.

Airspace Development Fund

Sakina Sheikh: What impact do you expect the Airspace Development Fund to have on London?

The Mayor: Whilst the GLA has not quantified rooftop development potential, Knight Frank’s 2017 Skyward research estimated that rooftops in zone 1 and 2 could hold a theoretical capacity of 40,000 new homes. My Deputy Mayor for Housing and Residential Development recently visited an estate in Southwark which is currently undergoing rooftop development.
I am happy to see the private sector looking to partner with local authorities and housing associations to find innovative ways to fund and develop new homes in London for key workers. I look forward to seeing how these opportunities develop and whether there is a further role for the GLA to play.

Small Sites LPG (4)

Sakina Sheikh: How will building on small sites in London support small housebuilders, as we have seen a two thirds drop in the number of small building companies, since 2007?

The Mayor: A key barrier to small builders taking a greater role in delivering housing in London is a limited access to sites. This is particularly true of publicly owned sites which can have greater barriers as a result of standardised procurement processes that favour more established market participants. My Small Sites Small Builders programme has enabled the release of small sites to small builders through simplifying the procurement process and making available a quality assured level of due diligence at the point at which small and medium sized enterprises are bidding for the sites.
Small site development can play a significant role in local economic strategies, catalysing local economic activity in a range of supply chains and unlocking derelict, vacant sites that have been otherwise difficult to take to market, with potential synergies for other uses including economic activities. The programme is supporting, and encouraging new entrants into the SME builder sector, which has declined significantly in London over the last 15 years and it is critical for this sector to grow to increase the capacity for the sector to deliver the homes required for Londoners.

Privately Owned Public Spaces (1)

Sakina Sheikh: Is it possible for the GLA to produce up to date data on how much Privately Owned Public Spaces there are in the capital?

The Mayor: The most up-to-date information held by the GLA in relation to Privately Owned Public spaces is within the Green Space Information for Greater London (GiGL) dataset published on the London Datastore website in 2017. This dataset was independently collated, with data sourced directly from local authorities, supplemented by independent research.
Additional work has not yet been undertaken to update this dataset. However, my planning team is working with GiGL to understand what opportunities there may be to update the map, how readily available the data is and what the costs associated with this would be. We will publish any updates of this dataset (that GiGL carry out) on the GLA datastore website and make it publicly available.

Fire Safety LPG

Sakina Sheikh: How will your upcoming Fire Safety London Plan Guidance protect tenants and leaseholders caught up in the cladding crisis?

The Mayor: My draft Fire Safety London Plan Guidance is focused on ensuring we build safer new homes. It requires Fire Statements for new major development to include a commitment not to use combustible cladding on their external walls. This requirement goes beyond what the Government requires through the Building Regulations, which only requires residential and institutional buildings over 18 metres not to include cladding on the external walls.
Planning guidance cannot be retrospectively applied to buildings but where buildings with existing combustible cladding come forward for development, they would be required to consider the fire safety of the development as a whole.
In terms of existing buildings, officers in my Building Safety Team are continuing to administer the cladding remediation funds for high rise buildings in London on behalf of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

The Prevalence and Impact of Spiking in London

Caroline Pidgeon: You will be aware that the Home Affairs Select Committee recently launched an inquiry to better understand the prevalence of drink spiking and the effectiveness of the police response to it. Are you currently looking at what more you can do here in London to understand the prevalence and impact of spiking and how we can tackle it, both in terms of prevention and enforcement against those responsible?

The Mayor: A MPS VAWG Working Group has been established to monitor and review the work being done to respond to violence against women. This includes how spiking offences are being recorded in order to understand the scale of these offences in London. Guidance has also been issued to officers on investigating and securing forensic evidence in relation to spiking incidents.
As part of its preventative work, the MPS works closely with the Safer Business Network to deliver a vulnerability training campaign called ‘Welfare and Vulnerability Engagement’ (WAVE) at venues. This provides staff with the skills to identify vulnerability, perpetrators of crime and provide an appropriate response primarily focused around supporting the vulnerable person. The MPS also works with partners delivering the ‘Ask for Angela’ campaign in licensed premises. This campaign enables anyone feeling vulnerable or worried to approach a member of staff and use the phrase ‘Angela’ to seek immediate help.
The MPS is running Project Vigilant – a combination of plain clothes and uniformed officers outside of licensed premises taking enforcement action against perpetrators and preventing violence against women and girls.

Job Creation Figures

Shaun Bailey: How many jobs have been created as a direct result of mayoral initiatives or projects you have funded for each year since 2016? Please give a breakdown for the number of jobs created, details of the initiative or project and the amount of mayoral funding allocated.

The Mayor: Job creation is defined and reported differently across programmes depending on when they were established and under which funding regime. There are different approaches for European Structural and Investment Fund programmes, such as the European Social Fund and European Regional Development Fund, due to EU and national reporting requirements, than there are for London Economic Action Partnership (LEAP) programmes. Different approaches have also been taken to tailor intervention and reporting to meet specific programme objectives. For example, given the project-based nature of employment in the film industry, for the Film London programme, job creation refers to “employment opportunities”, which may be less than three months, rather than full-time jobs. Other programmes focus on the number of unemployed individuals moving into employment, rather than job creation. In addition, the LEAP programme job creation outputs have been weighted towards the end of the programme and beyond, when the full impact of financial investment will be realised. More detail is set out in the attached table.

The Mayor: MQ 2021-2088 Jobs created (1) (2).pdf

Our Streets Now Petition to make Street Harassment Illegal

Caroline Pidgeon: Will you join me and many other Londoners in signing Our Streets Now’s petition to make street harassment illegal and will you lobby the Government for such a change?

The Mayor: I am pleased to see the significant impact of the work led by the campaigners at Our Streets Now to highlight the very serious issue of public sexual harassment. I will continue my work to lobby the government to introduce a much-needed law to make public sexual harassment illegal and I am willing to work with Our Streets Now and other campaigners and partners to bring about this change.
My vision is for London to be a city in which all women and girls are safe and feel safe. My refreshed VAWG Strategy will address all forms of VAWG, including public sexual harassment. It will be published in the coming months, following continued engagement with partners and the publication of the Police and Crime Plan.

Rape Crisis Centre Waiting Time

Caroline Pidgeon: What are the current waiting times for rape victims receiving counselling services from London’s four rape crisis centres? Please also provide an update on the review you assured me MOPAC would be undertaking (in answer to MQ 2021/0067) in the 21/22 year around how data on waiting times was published.

The Mayor: As of Q3 this financial year, there was an average waiting time of 184 days to receive counselling across the four Rape Crisis Centres, once an assessment has taken place.
Due to the ongoing enhanced level of response to Covid-19, which has included securing additional exceptional funding for our sexual violence services and other VAWG services across London, MOPAC has prioritised mobilising additional capacity and took the decision to defer the data review referred to in MQ 2021/0067. This will now form part of the forthcoming review of MOPAC’s commissioned sexual violence services to be undertaken during 2022/2023. When the findings from this review are available, we will share them.

Young Londoners Fund in Ealing

Onkar Sahota: Can you provide details of how many Young Londoners Fund projects have been introduced and supported in Ealing and the total amount of grant funding allocated?

The Mayor: My Young Londoners Fund (YLF) was established in 2018 and through Rounds 1 and 2 of the Young Londoners Fund, Ealing has received £601,262 of investment to date. This funding has supported four projects and two schools providing a range of activities and support to 1067 young people. These projects include, Action West London, Bollo Brook Youth Centre, Get Hooked on Fishing, YMCA West London and Northolt and Featherstone High School. Please note there may have been extra young people that have been helped but have not specified which borough they live in. Young Londoners Fund Local Networks in the borough also support organisations that work with young people by helping them work collaboratively and share best practice.
A full list of projects funded by my Young Londoners Fund (including existing City Hall projects which were scaled up) can be found here Young Londoners Fund Projects - London Datastore

Notting Hill Police Station

Caroline Pidgeon: If you insist on proceeding with the sale of Notting Hill Police Station will you at the very least consider supporting local efforts to retain the site for community use and supported living?

The Mayor: No decision has yet been made on the sale of the Notting Hill Police Station site. MOPAC is currently seeking legal advice regarding its statutory duties in the disposal of this site, and will do everything it can to ensure the site is put to the best possible use.

MOPAC Dashboards

Susan Hall: How does MOPAC work with the users of its dashboards to improve the service and make them easier to use? (https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/mayors-office-policing-and-crime-mo...)

The Mayor: The MOPAC dashboards are published with a contact email address for feedback - [emailprotected]. Correspondence to this address allows MOPAC to collate user feedback when received.
It should also be noted that MOPAC engage with partners during the development of dashboards.

Dalston Kingsland station knife arch

Caroline Russell: A knife arch was deployed outside Dalston Kingsland station on 14 January 2022. What was the reason for this deployment, and what were the outcomes?

The Mayor: On 14 January 2022, a knife arch was set up outside Dalston Kingsland Station by Safer Transport Officers in conjunction with three Dedicated Ward Officers from Central East Basic Command Unit, Metropolitan Police Service.
The knife arch was deployed as the area is a known violent crime hotspot. The aim of the operation was to prevent the carrying of knives and weapons on the public transport network in order to keep young people safe, provide visible reassurance to members of the public, apprehend those in possession of knives, and prevent other criminal activity at the location.
During the deployment, three individuals were arrested for drug-related offences, a community resolution order was issued, and 11 stop and searches were conducted.

Rapid Electric Vehicle Charging Points (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: How many rapid electric charging points were installed in London during (a) 2018 (b) 2019 (c) 2020 (d) 2021?

The Mayor: Since 2018, Transport for London has invested £18m to deliver over 300 rapid charging points (RCP’s). This has contributed to London now boasting around a third of all electric vehicle charge points in the UK. According to data provided by Zap-Map, between 2018 and February 2022, the total number of RCP’s delivered by the public and private sector totalled 746. This is broken down as follows.
As of December 2018: 249

Canons Safer Neighbourhood Team

Shaun Bailey: Could you please explain the rationale for moving the Canons Safer Neighbourhood Team to Hatch End last August, which is 40 minutes travel to the community they serve. They are definitely NOT located at Centenary Park, which the Mayor stated in his previous reply. They were offered space in the Stanmore Synagogue and the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital. Please clarify why they were not re-sited within the ward.

The Mayor: The Canons Ward team were initially designated to relocate to Centenary Park SN Base. However, due to insufficient space at that location the Canons Ward team were relocated to 155 Uxbridge Road, Hatch End. Canons Ward can be reached within a 20-minute journey time of 155 Uxbridge Road.

Met dashboards

Susan Hall: How does the Met work with the users of its dashboards to improve the service and make them easier to use? (https://www.met.police.uk/sd/stats-and-data)

The Mayor: The MPS are working with the Open Data Institute to create an Open Data Strategy. As part of that project - within the first quarter of financial year 2022/23 - the MPS will be reviewing the data they provide externally and ask partners and the public how they can improve the open data service currently on offer.

Fraud

Susan Hall: Why is fraud not given higher priority by MOPAC and the MPS?

The Mayor: I recognise the steep rise in reported fraud offences in London and that is why my new Police and Crime Plan sets out my plans to develop an evidence base to underpin our future work on tackling fraud and to hold the MPS to account for how it deals with fraud offences and engages with national law enforcement agencies to drive fraud prevention work forward. Due to my investment and the national uplift in police numbers, the MPS now has a record 33,300 officers. All front-line policing teams are trained to provide an initial response to reports of cybercrime, identifying and prioritising the highest risk and those who are most vulnerable. As well as frontline officers, the MPS has a dedicated team responsible for matters concerning money laundering, fraud and other offences associated with criminal finance. The Economic Crime Command has over 300 dedicated officers working to combat fraud and cybercrime.
Fraud is not a victimless crime, it can and does have a devastating impact on people’s lives, particularly the most vulnerable. That is why MOPAC will continue to commission the London Victims and Witness Service to provide vital support to victims of fraud and cybercrime.
However, the changing nature of fraud and the prevalence of online offending and victimisation means a nationally coordinated response is urgently required. The National Cyber Security Strategy 2022 provides some strategic direction to this work, but greater focus, action and investment is required from Government. That is why I will lobby the Home Office to bring forward a national, 10-year fraud strategy, in the same way it has done for drugs. This should include introducing a national victims survey, ensuring that the victims’ voice is at the centre of the national response. And I will also lobby the College of Policing to commission research to understand ‘what works’ in preventing fraud. If we are to be successful in driving down fraud and cybercrime, all law enforcement agencies, including the National Crime Agency, Serious Fraud Office and the City of London Police, must work collaboratively and consistently.

Estates exempt from ballots (1)

Siân Berry: Could you provide me with a list of the names of estates and relevant local authorities or housing associations that were originally granted exemptions from your resident ballot requirement prior to or on 18 July 2018, and specify which of these have since: a) been withdrawn from the funding programme by the developers or landlords, b) progressed with development plans to further milestones, including which milestones these are, and c) not progressed further?

The Mayor: A list of projects with GLA approved exemptions for the resident ballot requirement can be found on London.gov webpage. For the purposes of this response, we have compiled data on all projects with exemptions where that exemption was due to either planning permission secured or GLA funding committed on or prior to 18 July 2018 (exemptions 4 and 5). This includes projects approved as recently as September 2021. The key milestones tracked are start on site and completion.
Of the 48 estate regeneration projects approved with an exemption, one has been withdrawn from the programme, three have been completed, 35 started on site, but not yet completed and 13 are in progress, but have not yet started on site.

The Mayor: MQ 2022 - 0062 Resident Ballot Exemption data.xlsx

ULEZ Expansion (1)

Emma Best: Please provide an update on how much TfL has spent to date on the expansion of the ULEZ?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) advises that implementationcosts for the ULEZ expansion were £115million.Thiscostincludes improved access to public transport, staffingand the signs, cameras and back-office systems needed to make the scheme operational.TfL and Ihave sought todeliver the infrastructure needed to operate the scheme in the mostcost-effective way possible.The ULEZ expansion was delivered on time and under budget.

Met Police Laser Cutting Machine

Susan Hall: Why does the Met have a £15,000 contract for a 100W Laser Cutting Machine from Thinklaser Limited? (Source: MPS contracts award Sep 2020 to March 2021)

The Mayor: The MPS purchased a laser cutter machine at a cost of £13,200 for use in the MPS mechanical workshop. The workshop provides engineering services to operational police units across the MPS. The laser machine cuts a wide range of industrial metals of varying thickness to any shape and utilized on a number of critical projects, such as
The £15,000 quoted from the MPS Contract Awards Sept 2020-March 2021 refers to the maximum contract value.

Job Creation

Neil Garratt: How many jobs have you created since May 2016? Please give a breakdown by project, cost and job sector.

The Mayor: Job creation is defined and reported differently across programmes depending on when they were established and under which funding regime. There are different approaches for European Structural and Investment Fund programmes, such as the European Social Fund and European Regional Development Fund, due to EU and national reporting requirements, than there are for London Economic Action Partnership (LEAP) programmes.
Different approaches are also taken to tailor intervention and reporting to meet specific programme objectives. For example, given the project-based nature of employment in the film industry, for the Film London programme, job creation refers to “employment opportunities”, which may be less than three months, rather than full-time jobs. Other programmes focus on the number of unemployed individuals moving into employment, rather than job creation.
In addition, the LEAP programme job creation outputs have been weighted towards the end of the programme and beyond, when the full impact of financial investment will be realised.

The Mayor: MQ 2022-0815 Jobs created.pdf

Platform Safety

Emma Best: What recent reviews have assessed platform safety and safe station exit and entry at London stations that are not part of London Underground?

The Mayor: I am informed that each London Overground managed station has a location-specific Local Emergency Plan (LEP), providing details on:
Each LEP is reviewed annually, although additional reviews are carried out as necessary if there are any changes at the station that would affect these arrangements. In addition, each station has a comprehensive Train Dispatch Risk Assessment (TDRA) which considers risk at the platform / train interface and the controls required to mitigate any risks.
Stations managed by TfL Rail each have a Local Emergency and Evacuation Plan (LEEP), similar to the above, and again reviewed on an annual basis. New stations are also undergoing additional testing.
Other National Rail stations that are not managed by London Overground or TfL Rail have equivalent plans, which are reviewed and updated with input from all train operators serving that station as well as Network Rail where applicable.

Independent Audit of TfL’s Quarterly Bus Safety Data

Keith Prince: Will you instruct TfL to conduct an independent audit of the bus safety data that is presented to TfL Board and Committees, published on TfL’s website and provided to the press?

The Mayor: As I have indicated in my responses to Mayor’s Questions 2022/2016 and 2022/2021, Transport for London (TfL) data is accurate and transparent. It is reviewed regularly, and the creation of the dashboard has made it more accessible than ever before.
TfL is continually making improvements to the data it shares to ensure that it is as accurate and transparent as possible. This includes over the past 12 months providing data in multiple and more accessible formats and correcting historic errors and anomalies as and when they are found.
TfL is not planning to pursue an independent audit of its bus safety data at this time and I have not seen evidence to suggest that an independent audit is necessary

London’s Gaming industry

Leonie Cooper: The gaming industry is growing massively and London is already a leading place for games to be developed. Will you produce a strategy to help further encourage London to become a global centre for the industry?

The Mayor: I agree that this is an important growth industry for London and the UK, with over 500 games businesses in the capital. My Culture Strategy sets out how I am supporting London as a global games hub. I have committed to supporting the creative industries through my Creative Economy Growth Programme which includes funding Games London, a programme to help games businesses secure investment and sales, while showcasing London as a world city for games.
The Games London programme includes delivery of the annual London Games Festival and the UK’s only Games Production Finance Market which brings new investment into the sector. During the pandemic, the festival pivoted online with an extra finance market and delivered £33m in new investment over the March 2020 to March 2022 period against a combined target over the two years of £26m. Since May 2016, my Games London programme has delivered £90m in inward investment for London businesses.

Violence against Women and Girls

Leonie Cooper: Can you detail what more you are doing to tackle violence against women and girls in London and what specifically you are doing in Merton and Wandsworth?

The Mayor: I deliver a comprehensive programme of commissioned services, policy and lobbying together with our partners. This has been backed by a record £60.7m investment to date in specialist services supporting victims, tackling perpetrators and delivering prevention activities, and on 17th March I announced a new £11.3m fund for domestic abuse (DA) services supporting victims of DA in safe accommodation.
Alongside pan-London services, in 2021-22 Merton and Wandsworth have used funding from the London Crime Prevention Fund to commission local provision, including services supporting victims of DA and child sexual abuse.
My Victims’ Commissioner works tirelessly to ensure the voices of victims of VAWG are heard and that lessons learned from their experiences inform and shape practices, polices, services and provision. I have represented London’s views in response to legislative changes including the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.
My forthcoming refreshed VAWG strategy will outline in further detail the breadth of my ambition for change in London.

Bus Services at Ealing Hospital

Caroline Pidgeon: What assurances can you provide for people that bus services serving Ealing hospital are protected?

The Mayor: Ealing Hospital is served by buses with direct links to many parts of west and north west London, including routes 92, 195, 207, 282, 427, 483 and 607, and by night routes N83 and N207.
Good access to hospitals is vital for communities and a key part of what the bus service is designed to provide. Transport for London (TfL) provides annual updates to the TfL board on hospital services, most recently in October 2021.
When the Elizabeth line is fully operational, route 427, which currently serves Ealing hospital, will be run only to Southall. TfL consulted on this change and sufficient capacity will continue to be provided by routes 207 and 607. Route 607 runs parallel to the 427 and will continue to serve most of the same major stops.
Route 483 was extended in May 2020 between Ealing Hospital and Windmill Lane to provide new network coverage to Windmill Lane. TfL also consulted on withdrawing route 483 from Ealing Hospital grounds, instead serving stops on adjacent Uxbridge Road. After carefully considering stakeholder feedback, TfL decided that the route should continue to serve the hospitals directly and has no plans to change this.

Vehicle stops

Susan Hall: For each year 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 how many vehicle stops were conducted by the Met and what were the outcomes, e.g. found a weapon?

The Mayor: Please see attached the requested information. The supplied notes page should be read in conjunction with the data to aid in interpretation.  The information includes vehicles stop and search outcome by year.

The Mayor: 0867_Vehicle stops_v3 (1).xlsx

Russian Money

Leonie Cooper: What are you doing to deal with Russian money tied to Putin in London and is there any part of the GLA or TfL that has any connection to Russian funding or investment?

The Mayor: I am appalled at Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and support the ongoing programme of sanctions against relevant individuals and corporate interests. No part of the group has any investment in Russian entities except indirectly through the LPFA and TfL pension funds, which operate independently. TfL’s pension fund Trustee has decided to freeze its Russian investments (currently £28m or 0.2% of the fund), recognising the current lack of market for selling these assets and the Trustee's fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of the Fund's members. I welcome LPFA’s recent decision to dispose of its £1.5m of Russian investments, which represents approximately 0.02 per cent of the total LPFA fund.
None of the GLA’s joint ventures or developments have any such connections that my officers can reasonably discover.

Support for ‘Valerie’s Law’

Caroline Pidgeon: It is essential that agencies better understand the cultural needs of Black women affected by domestic abuse. Do you support the campaign for ‘Valerie’s Law’ which would mean compulsory training for agencies supporting Black domestic abuse survivors?

The Mayor: I support ‘Valerie’s Law’ in improving the response for Black women affected by domestic abuse. I am committed to ensuring that agencies are better placed to understand and respond to the different cultural needs of survivors of this awful crime.
My Victims’ Commissioner has held a number of roundtables with Black survivors to better understand their experiences which has fed directly into my action plan to improve trust and confidence in the MPS and will inform my refreshed Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy.
Through my VAWG Grassroots Fund, I have invested £3m to ensure that Black survivors along with other minoritised groups are able to access the specialist and culturally specific support they need to recover from abuse and violence.

Policing in Lewisham Park (1)

Len Duvall: Following the recent spate of mobile phone thefts in Lewisham Park, can you provide an update on the police response?

The Mayor: While I understand that not all crimes are reported, the MPS has informed me that there were no reported mobile phone thefts in Lewisham Park between August and October 2021. There were 2 mobile phone thefts within half a mile of the park within the same time period.
Where the MPS does identify robbery hotspot, which account for a large share of London’s offences, they will intensify interventions in these areas. This will involve the use of unmarked cars, CCTV trawling, searches of areas for suspects with witnesses, securing forensic evidence as well as targeting hotspots linked to school routes. The Met have also invested considerable resource in developing the investigative skills of frontline officers and run an operation targeting second-hand markets across London.
A partnership approach between the MPS, MOPAC and mobile phone manufacturers is also vital to tackling this type of crime. Through Secure by Design, a company owned by the MPS and MOPAC, we are seeking to identify apps and other technology to enhance phone security.

Covid loan fraud arrests

Unmesh Desai: How many arrests have been made by Metropolitan Police officers of individuals who are suspected of defrauding the Government through improper use of coronavirus support loans?

The Mayor: The National Investigation Service (NATIS) lead investigations on the most serious cases of this type of fraud.

Healthy Streets Schemes (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: Further to the extraordinary funding and financing settlement for TfL, please set out the list of Healthy Streets schemes that will be commencing during 2022.

The Mayor: In February, Transport for London (TfL) reached a new funding agreement with Government covering the period from 25 February 2022 until 24 June 2022. This agreement extended TfL’s revenue top-up mechanism and also provided an additional £200m to allow the operational business to continue. It also required TfL to set aside £50 million for active travel projects, but there was no additional government funding provided specifically for this purpose. Given TfL’s lack of funding certainty beyond June, there will be constraints on delivery for both TfL and borough-led programmes in the coming months.
Consequently, TfL is working through what will be affordable within this funding settlement, and – subject to governance – will be able to confirm the list of continuing schemes in April.

Healthy Streets Schemes (2)

Caroline Pidgeon: Following the extraordinary funding and financing agreement for TfL as set out in the Department for Transport’s letter on the 25 February 2022, where it was stated in paragraph 27 that “We expect TfL to continue to deliver ambitious healthy streets”, please list any Healthy Streets schemes which had previously been paused that are now commencing.

The Mayor: Please see my response to Mayor’s Question 2022/0901

Young Londoners Fund in Hillingdon

Onkar Sahota: Can you provide details of how many Young Londoners Fund projects have been introduced and supported in Hillingdon and the total amount of grant funding allocated?

The Mayor: My Young Londoners Fund (YLF) was established in 2018 and through Rounds 1 and 2 of the Young Londoners Fund, Hillingdon has received £243,563 of investment to date. This funding has supported three projects providing a range of activities and support to 651 young people. These projects include, Hillingdon Autistic Care and Support, Hillingdon Carers and YMCA West London. Please note there may have been extra young people that have been helped but have not specified which borough they live in. Young Londoners Fund Local Networks in the borough also support organisations that work with young people by helping them work collaboratively and share best practice.
A full list of projects funded by my Young Londoners Fund (including existing City Hall projects which were scaled up) can be found here Young Londoners Fund Projects - London Datastore

Breach of Covid regulations in London (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: Do you believe that those in elected office have a responsibility to abide by Covid regulations that have been set by Government, alongside the Londoners that they represent?

The Mayor: Covid regulations that have been set by Government should be abided by everyone.
I have been clear that Londoners must be able to expect the highest standards from all of those in elected office.

Cycling Infrastructure in Ealing

Onkar Sahota: How many kilometres of cycle lanes have been constructed by Transport for London in Ealing since 2016?

The Mayor: Since 2016, Transport for London (TfL) has funded and delivered 14.8km of cycle lanes in partnership with the London Borough of Ealing. This is broken down as follows:
Ealing to Greenford - 6.3km
Uxbridge to Ealing Common – 0.3km
Uxbridge Road Acton Vale – 2.1km
East Acton to Chiswick – 4.3km
C34 between Kathleen Avenue and Old Oak Road – 1.8km
A further 2.7km of TfL-funded cycle lanes are currently under construction across Ealing and are planned to complete by summer 2022.

The Mayor: Since 2016, Transport for London (TfL) has funded and delivered 14.8km of cycle lanes in partnership with the London Borough of Ealing. This is broken down as follows:
Ealing to Greenford - 6.3km
Uxbridge to Ealing Common – 0.3km
Uxbridge Road Acton Vale – 2.1km
East Acton to Chiswick – 4.3km
C34 between Kathleen Avenue and Old Oak Road – 1.8km
A further 2.7km of TfL-funded cycle lanes are currently under construction across Ealing and are planned to complete by summer 2022.

Cycling Infrastructure in Hillingdon

Onkar Sahota: How many kilometres of cycle lanes have been constructed by Transport for London in Hillingdon since 2016?

The Mayor: Since 2016, no cycle lanes have been delivered within the London Borough of Hillingdon, either by Transport for London or the borough themselves. I would encourage the borough to work with TfL to develop plans to improve the roads in Hillingdon for people walking and cycling.

Cuckooing officers

Unmesh Desai: Are there any officers within the Met with a dedicated role to tackle cuckooing in London?

The Mayor: As explained in MQ 2022/1082, all police recruits are trained to identify and respond to incidents of cuckooing. There are no officers solely dedicated to tackling cuckooing.

Naloxone Pilot

Onkar Sahota: Can you provide an update on whether the Metropolitan Police have identified a pilot site for trialling equipping its officers with Naloxone spray?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police have begun working with partners to carefully consider whether frontline officers should be equipped with Naloxone, however there is no pilot site identified at this time.

Bus Driver Welfare: Lack of Staff Facilities at either terminus

Keith Prince: In your response to question 2021/4899 you state “all bus routes have access to a toilet as a minimum at one end of the route”. Can you confirm that these particular toilets are open 24-7 to all bus drivers? Please provide me with a list of those bus routes that only have a toilet at one end of the route.

The Mayor: Transport for London’s (TfL’s) investment in bus driver toilets in recent years has delivered a step change in access to these facilities, with new toilets provided for 61 bus routes since 2018. The vast majority of bus routes now have access to a toilet for all operating hours. There are just two routes that only have access to a toilet for part of the operating day. These are routes R2 and 394. TfL is planning to build a toilet for route R2 next financial year and is currently negotiating access to a toilet for route 394.
There are a total of 175 routes with a toilet at only one end. The list of these routes is provided in the attached document.

The Mayor: 0787 - Bus Driver Welfare Lack of Staff Facilities Appendix.pdf

Cuckooing training

Unmesh Desai: Please can you provide details of how many officers have been trained to deal with cuckooing in London?

The Mayor: Guidance on cuckooing is set out in the ‘Public Protection – Vulnerability and Protection of Adults at Risk’ section of the MPS intranet which is available to all officers and staff.
Cuckooing itself is not a specific offence, but the guidance provides information on identifying, investigating, reporting, wider partnership involvement and safeguarding the individual(s) concerned.
There is further input on cuckooing across several training interventions provided to new recruits, including the sessions on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking, and Vulnerable People and Risk. Since January 2021, all newly recruited officers have undertaken these sessions, which is approximately 2,300 officers.

Driving offences reported online

Joanne McCartney: How many driving offences have been reported by individuals uploading content to Metropolitan Police's website over the last 3 years? How many of these led to successful prosecutions?

The Mayor: Please see the attached information provided by the Metropolitan Police Service. This shows driving offence allegations reported online between 2019 and 2021 inclusive and those with a notice of intended prosecution.

The Mayor: 0660_driving offences reported online.xlsx

Number Plate Cloning (2)

Joanne McCartney: What work is the Metropolitan Police doing with the DVLA to support owners who are caught in the nightmare of receiving driving/parking penalties and having to prove the vehicle concerned was using a cloned number plate?

The Mayor: When a vehicle has been identified as having a cloned number plate, a report is created and a marker added to the police national computer, and ANPR databases. Once the rightful owner is established a letter is given to them, should they receive a Penalty Charge Notice.

Unexplained Wealth Orders (3)

Unmesh Desai: Do you believe that the Metropolitan Police, the National Crime Agency and other bodies with powers to issue Unexplained Wealth Orders are sufficiently resourced by the Government to pursue cases in London, especially if they are appealed?

The Mayor: Please refer to the response to 2022/1080.

TDIU 1

Susan Hall: What are you doing to address the low victim satisfaction rate with the Telephone Digital Investigation Unit (TDIU)? (41% for Online, 47% for phone)

The Mayor: MOPAC maintains oversight of the TDIU satisfaction rate and regularly reports findings into the MPS Victim Care Board. The MPS are defining actions to address the gap in satisfaction rates. Recently, use of a Randomised Control Trial to assess the impact of follow up calls with certain victims, such as victims of vehicle crime, showed positive results. The MPS are currently assessing the feasibility of a wider roll out.

Crime Assessment Policy

Susan Hall: Please can you provide the latest version of the Met's Crime Assessment Policy? (Or its successor if it has been replaced)

The Mayor: Attached are extracts of the MPS General Investigation Policy which detail the crime assessment principles and crime assessment process.

The Mayor: 1268_Crime Assessment Policy- part 2.pdf


  1268_Crime Assessment Policy- part 3.docx


  1268_Crime Assessment Policy- part 4.pdf

No call backs

Susan Hall: Page 68 of the Met’s Force Management Statement says, “no call backs to nine categories of volume crime where sufficient information for initial investigation has been obtained by MetCC and no vulnerability is identified”. What are these nine categories?

The Mayor: There will be no call backs for the following crimes where there is sufficient evidence to make assessment under CAP (Crime Assessment Principles – victim, suspect, low value, CCTV, forensics, suspect vehicle) and no additional vulnerability or risk is identified.
The nine categories are:
No call back does not mean that the case is not looked into further or investigated.

National File Quality Standards file failure rate

Susan Hall: For each year, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, what was the Met's National File Quality Standards file failure rate?

The Mayor: Written response from the Mayor
A revised National File Quality (NFQ) Standard was introduced in May 2015, and CPS began conducting the first ‘national file quality’ assessments against that standard in September 2016. However, the first meaningful structured data was not available until August 2017 when IT changes allowed the CPS to capture data through their Management Information System.
However, the MPS no longer holds figures for the period September through December 2017.
As a result of the introduction of the Director’s Guidance in Jan 2021 (which significantly changed the national file standard), and following concerns raised by police forces – including the MPS - a new file quality assessment process known as the ‘Directors Guidance (Charging) Assessment’ launched in July 2021 and CPS stopped collecting NFQ data at that point.

National File Quality ‘Proxy’ failure rates: 2018
2019
2020
2021
(to July)
Number of file quality failures
14,043
10,230
11,062
5,110
Total files
25,145
23,823
22,857
11,229
File failure rate
55.8%
42.9%
48.4%
45.5%

ULEZ

Leonie Cooper: How many fines were issued to
1.) Wandsworth residents
2.) Merton residents
during the first few weeks of ULEZ?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) reserves the right to issue a penalty for any day that a non-compliant vehicle is seen in the zone. However, it usedits discretion to issue warninglettersrather than Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs)for the first month after the launch of theULEZexpansion. PCNs have been issued since.
There was an extensive campaign to ensure all drivers were aware of the expansion, however it is likely some people will make a genuine mistake and drive a non-compliant vehicle in the zone. Warning notices were issued to ensure the correct action is taken in the future and to allow for any genuine mistakes that may have occurred in the first few weeks of ULEZ operation. This approach was also taken for the introduction of the central London ULEZ.

Outcome 21

Susan Hall: For each year, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, how many times did the Met use ‘Outcome 21’, broken down by offence type?

The Mayor: Please see attached the requested information. The supplied notes page should be read in conjunction with the data to aid in interpretation.

The Mayor: 1264_Outcome 21.xlsx

Police augmentations

Susan Hall: Page 16 of the Met’s Force Management Statement 2021 states: “new technologies designed to augment the physical body and improve cognition will offer improvements for officer safety, performance and public outcomes”. What augmentations does the Met envision using?

The Mayor: The section of the Force Management Statement in question is a result of scoping potential trends and long-term future changes that might arise in London and in policing. These trends have been identified by the MoD (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/global-strategic-trends).
In practice, this may cover technologies such as smart watches that can monitor the body for stress or anxiety. The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) is not planning any specific application at this stage.

Modernise the Cycle Hire Scheme

Elly Baker: Following MQ 2021/1607 can you update me on progress being made to give NHS workers a permanent discount?

The Mayor: Transport for London is still exploring how to continue to support healthcare professionals with discounted access to Santander Cycles membership on a permanent basis. TfL will update as soon as a decision has been made.

Pre-planned firearms deployments

Susan Hall: For each year, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, how many Met police pre-planned firearms deployments took place, broken down by the following types:

• Armed surveillance
• Ceremonial/major event
• Other
• Armed interception
• Armed Recce
• MASTS
• VCP with Armed Support
• Armed Hospital guard
• Hostage/Kidnap
• Armed Containment
• Escort
• Armed Entry
• ANPR

The Mayor: The number of firearm deployments by year was answered previously at 2022/0216.
The number of deployments by type cannot be shared due to this being sensitive information.

Fraud linked suicides

Susan Hall: For each year, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, do you know how many suicides in London have been linked to being fraud victims?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) investigates unexplained deaths and reports the findings to the Coroner who then determines the cause of death, this is not routinely recorded in the MPS. It is therefore not possible to provide a response to this question.

ULEZ in Ealing and Hillingdon

Onkar Sahota: How many vehicles registered in a) Ealing and b) Hillingdon do not meet the ULEZ emissions standards and so will be liable to pay the ULEZ charge?

The Mayor: There are estimated to be around 33,500 cars and 6,900 vans registeredat addressesin Ealing and 38,500 cars and 9,900 vans registeredat addressesin Hillingdon thatmay not meet the ULEZ emission standards. This is based on information collated by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) from 2020.Vehicles may not bebased at the registered address, particularly in the case of large fleets.The drivers of these vehicles would only be required to pay the ULEZ daily charge if they drove in the zone.
Transport for London has seen a significant increase in compliance with the ULEZ standards. Indeed, prior to the scheme coming into effect, early indications showed 87 per cent of vehicles seen in the zone met these standards. Therefore, TfL would expect the numbers of non-compliant vehicles owned by the residents in these two boroughs to have fallen as well. New data for 2021 will be supplied by the SMMT next year.
It is also worth noting that42 per cent of households in Ealing,theeastofwhichisin the expanded ULEZ,and24percent of households in Hillingdon, do not own a car.

Co-housing (4)

Nicholas Rogers: What support do you currently give to people seeking to develop co-housing projects?

The Mayor: I am supporting community groups to overcome the key barriers of accessing suitable land, finance, and people with the necessary skills and experience to take a proposal through from conception to delivery. Since 2018, I have funded the Community-Led Housing Hub for London to support early-stage groups, providing information, signposting and advice, funding and partnership brokering opportunities. In 2019, I launched a£38m Community Housing Fund (CHF) for London, with both revenue and capital to support the delivery of new community-led homes. I am also working with boroughs on availability of sites to bring forwards opportunities in a way that works for community groups. This support is bringing forward a range of types of community-led schemes (including cohousing), with community groups rightly determining the form of community-led housing they wish to develop.

Scrappage Scheme Applications in Ealing and Hillingdon

Onkar Sahota: How many people and businesses in a) Ealing and b) Hillingdon successfully applied for the ULEZ scrappage scheme?

The Mayor: I am very pleased to note that following enthusiastic uptake of my scrappage schemes, more than 14,000 older, more polluting vehicles have been removed from London’s roads. The table in the spreadsheet attached shows the number of scrappage grant payments made to addresses in the boroughs of Ealing and Hillingdon, as at 9 November 2021.

The Mayor: Copy of 4703 attachment - Scrappage Scheme Applications in Ealing and Hillingdon_.xlsx

Council tax

Leonie Cooper: What could the Government be doing in order to help fund London’s fire and police services as well as TfL in order for the Mayoral precept not to increase?

The Mayor: In order to generate the additional funding London’s police and fire services and TfL so desperately need the only lever I have is to increase council tax.
The government has a whole range of unrestricted income streams at its disposal (from capital gains taxes to VAT, from national insurance to PAYE). The GLA has to pay over £800m a year in London business rates income to the government, despite London’s essential public services needing further funding.
Unfortunately, government currently dismiss or ignore my reasonable requests for more devolved funding, whether that be via TfL being able to keep the £500m raised annually in London from the Vehicle Excise Duty or compensating the Metropolitan Police for the £159 million gap between its acknowledged additional responsibilities and the amount it receives via the National and International City (NICC) grant.
The government should be providing London’s essential front-line services with the essential funding they require via devolved funding derived from appropriate government taxation sources. London is recognised as the UK’s primary powerhouse; its success generates a £36bn taxation surplus that funds public services in the rest of the country. It is only right that appropriate national taxation receipts are used to keep London running for the benefit of the entire country.

Unlawful use of biometrics

Susan Hall: For each year, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, how many instances of unlawful biometrics being held by the Met have been detected?

The Mayor: There is no unlawful biometric match data pre-April 2020. Since April 2020, the MPS has identified three Unlawful Biometric Matches.

Extraordinary Funding and Financing Agreement for TfL (13)

Elly Baker: Will you publish the agreements between the DfT and TfL relating to the various extensions of the Extraordinary Funding and Financing Agreement for Transport for London (TfL) for the period to 11 December 2021 so we can see what changes, if any, were made to the terms of the agreement?

The Mayor: All the agreements are now published on the Government and Transport for London’s (TfL’s) websites:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transport-for-london-settlement-letter
https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/investors/funding-letters
This includes the TfL funding settlement letters from Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Transport:
It also includes additional letters extending already existing funding and financing agreements for the periods from:

Absence of Paid Sick Leave for London Bus Drivers

Keith Prince: Bus drivers have informed me that it is common practice among TfL bus contractors not to pay sick leave for the first three days for newer staff. While the Covid-19 pandemic persists, will you take immediate action to ensure that all bus workers’ sick days are paid immediately and workers are not forced to go without pay should they choose to protect themselves, their co-workers and their passengers from illness?

The Mayor: Pay, and terms and conditions – including sick pay – are a matter for each bus operator to agree with their staff. Transport for London (TfL) stepped in to provide additional support for a short time at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic before testing was commonplace; however, unfortunately TfL’s uncertain financial position means it cannot go further at this time. I’d encourage the operators to consider ways to improve their current sick pay as part of wider pay discussions.

Closure of Chestnut Avenue

Nicholas Rogers: From a daily commuter’s perspective, how do you and TfL judge the closure of Chestnut Avenue in Bushy Park to be beneficial and are you liaising with The Royal Parks on any further potential closures or openings? (This question is submitted on behalf of the sixth formers of St. Catherine’s School, Twickenham)

The Mayor: To achieve Net Zero Carbon by 2030, we must reduce car vehicle km travelled by 27 per cent over the next eight years. The Royal Parks’ Movement Strategy, which is working to reduce traffic across a number of parks, contributes directly to our efforts to achieve Net Zero. The closure of Chestnut Avenue to cars simply using the Sir Christopher Wren designed centrepiece of the park to get somewhere else will enable visitors to better enjoy the park on foot or by bike.
Transport for London (TfL) has been working closely with the Royal Parks to monitor the impacts of these changes, and supports their objectives of reducing the impact that vehicular traffic has on people walking and cycling in the Bushy Park area. TfL would be happy to work with them on any further potential closures or openings they have in mind.

ULEZ revenue

Caroline Pidgeon: I understand enforcement of the extended ULEZ did not fully start on 25th October, with many drivers receiving warning letters. What revenue was generated by ULEZ in the first month since its extension?

The Mayor: As I said in my First Month Report, around 45,800 non-compliant vehicles paid the charge on the average day in the first four weeks following ULEZ expansion. Transport for London advises that the revenue generated from these charges was £16m.

Woodburning and energy performance

Zack Polanski: Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) in London continue to cite woodburning as worthy of a higher rating. Will you ask the Government to update this guidance so that woodburning is not positively regarded for EPCs in urban areas?

The Mayor: Wood burning is a serious source of air pollution in London and it is essential we raise awareness on this issue. I have asked my officers to raise the issue of EPCs with officials in Government.
I am also currently working with Impact on Urban Health and Kantar to develop and share messaging on the negative health impacts associated with woodburning.I have established a local authority working group to work more closely with boroughs to improve their action on this issue. I have supported a successful multi-borough application to the Defra Air Quality grants programme, to deliver a marketing campaign to raise awareness of the impact of wood burning.
In the meantime, I’m continuing to work for a zero-pollution city and will be responding to the recent Government consultation making the case that the WHO health-based PM2.5 guideline of 10ug/m3 should be met by 2030, not 2040 as Government proposes.

Cuckooing

Unmesh Desai: How many cuckooing cases did the MPS flag in 2021?

The Mayor: As of March 2022, 129 offences recorded in 2021 calendar year have been flagged as Cuckooing Activity.
Please note that the ‘Cuckooing’ flag was first introduced on the crime recording system in April 2019. Furthermore, the MPS Crime Recording System is a live recording system and flags can be added or removed at any time during current or past investigation.

Trust

Keith Prince: Should the Government consider you a trustworthy partner?

The Mayor: Yes – my team and I hold discussions with the Government on a wide range of important matters and I take the need to build and maintain trust in these relationships very seriously.

Cladding

Leonie Cooper: What more can you do to help with the cladding scandal in London and has the Government’s new policies helped Londoners deal with the issue?

The Mayor: I have already used my powers – through my Affordable Homes Programme and my London Plan - to improve the safety of new homes in London. I continue to support leaseholders affected and have long called for developers and those responsible to contribute towards remediating unsafe buildings.
The building safety crisis has arisen due to systemic failings across the board. I welcome the proposed amendments to the Building Safety Bill setting out national legal powers to force developers to contribute to fixing the problems they played a part in causing. I am however concerned at the proposal that leaseholders should pay a capped amount of £15,000. I have always been clear that leaseholders should not pay towards fixing a problem that was not their fault.

Digital Forensics Backlog

Caroline Pidgeon: In their most recent report on child safeguarding in the Met, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services has stated that current wait times for forensic examination and digital devices is between 6-9 months after they have been submitted to one of the Met’s digital forensics hubs, with a current backlog of 1,277 submissions. How are you working with the Met and others to take the urgent action needed to reduce these backlogs?

The Mayor: I welcomed the HMICFRS work and recognise the importance of ensuring the process for digital forensics is efficient and effective. To support this the MPS agreed a detailed business case for substantial investment in digital forensics. This will increase capacity and capability and improve the overall infrastructure to deal with the increasing complexity in digital forensic examinations and should reduce wait times in digital investigation.
The MPS will continue their ongoing research & development and strive to ensure that their practice keeps pace with both volume and complexity of digital material.

Training Attendance

Susan Hall: How is the Mayor certain that the London Fire Brigade training figures presented to him are accurate as in the past it is clear that the data given to elected Members was wrong?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade (LFB) is confident that its training data is accurate. The data is subject to an ongoing reconciliation process through IT systems and Quality Assurance and reports are produced according to detailed guidance notes to ensure accuracy and consistency. The Brigade continually considers ways to improve how the collection of data can be improved and as this work evolves, will be able to provide further levels of insight on the data and respond accordingly. I discuss matters relating to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 recommendations and the findings of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services at my regular meetings with the London Fire Commissioner; and my Deputy Mayor for Fire and Resilience provides scrutiny of the Brigade through monthly board meetings, deep dives and regular reporting from LFB on key issues.

Remote Sign On for Bus Drivers

Elly Baker: Please provide an update on when you plan to publish the independent research on remote sign-on?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL), the bus operators and Unite the Union have seen the recommendations of the independent research and are in discussion on the next steps. I hope that this collaborative approach will enable an agreed position to be reached, at which point TfL will publish the report. The bus operators have paused the implementation of further remote sign on while these discussions continue.

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL), the bus operators and Unite the Union have seen the recommendations of the independent research and are in discussion on the next steps. I hope that this collaborative approach will enable an agreed position to be reached, at which point TfL will publish the report. The bus operators have paused the implementation of further remote sign on while these discussions continue.

Wandsworth’s night time economy

Leonie Cooper: Has Wandsworth Council been in contact with you about helping with its night time economy and strategy?

The Mayor: I'm delighted that Wandsworth Council recently launched its programme to develop a night time strategy.
My Night Czar and 24 Hour London Team have been working with officers from Wandsworth Council, and other boroughs across London, over the past year on night time strategy development and will continue to provide specialist support and advice.
This programme of support is helping boroughs get the most out of my night time strategy guidance, which I published in March 2021. It’s also ensuring councils are working across departments and with the community to create a holistic strategy for their areas at night that considers all users and their needs.

WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities Award (1)

Emma Best: Was there any cost associated with entering the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities Award for the ULEZ?

The Mayor: It was an honour to be a finalist for the WRI Prize, which recognised the GLA’s world-leading efforts to tackle toxic air pollution, climate change and health inequalities through the ULEZ.
There was no fee to apply for the prize. Some staff time was used to complete the application form and participate in a follow up interview.

Ethnicity Employment Gap

Emma Best: The ethnicity employment gap for 2020 was 12 percentage points for London and 9 percentage points for the UK (BAME compared with White residents). What are you doing to address this in London?

The Mayor: The Mayor is taking forward a range of actions to address the drivers of the ethnicity pay gap. His Workforce Integration Network (WIN) programme works with employers to strengthen workforce diversity and inclusion in key sectors, including through the progression of underrepresented groups in the workplace. The Mayor has also published toolkits on being an inclusive employer and how to use workforce equality data.
The Mayor’s £44m Academies Programme is using the WIN model to support employers to become more inclusive workplaces. He is also ensuring his investment in skills is helping address issues of underrepresentation in the labour market, including the ethnicity pay gap. The majority (57%) of learners accessing support through the £320m Adult Education Budget were from a Black or Minority Ethnic background.
The London Recovery Board’s structural inequalities action plan includes actions for employers to ensure their workforce reflects London, at all levels of their organisation.

IOPC Report on Taser Use (2)

Caroline Pidgeon: The IOPC’s recent report on taser use highlights the disproportionate use of tasers against Black, Asian and other ethnic minority groups. How are you working with MOPAC and the Met to urgently address this disproportionality?

The Mayor: I am committed to helping reduce differences in groups’ experience of policing, victim satisfaction and perception of policing and the criminal justice system, which is why I commissioned my Action plan. The Action Plan commits to overhauling community-led scrutiny structures to improve accountability, transparency and trust in the MPS.
My teams are working closely in consultation with communities to develop a detailed plan for reviewing and redesigning the process for involving communities in scrutinising MPS use of powers - including stop and search, Taser and use of handcuffs in every London borough. This review and redesign will ensure a wide range of communities, including those with lived experience of police use of force, are actively involved in holding the police to account, and that the wider public can have confidence in this process.
This work is being done in consultation with communities from across London, including those involved in existing scrutiny structures, and a new framework for community-led scrutiny is expected to be in place by the end of the year.
In addition, MOPAC and I scrutinise the Use of Force by the MPS via various mechanisms including the Oversight Board and bilateral meetings with the Commissioner.

Sharing of traffic monitoring data from Streetspace initiatives

Caroline Pidgeon: Further to your reply to Question 2021/3571 please set out in detail the progress that has been made in the sharing of information from traffic monitoring surveys undertaken by TfL relating to the impact of Streetspace initiatives with the relevant London Boroughs and local residents.

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has provided London boroughs with access to a Microsoft SharePoint site where they can access and run analysis on data for general traffic journey times back to January 2019. This enables boroughs to provide insights and information to members of the public and use a data led approach to see how schemes are performing. Boroughs can get access to this site by emailing [emailprotected].
Additionally, TfL has analysed over 60 schemes located on both TfL and borough roads. All schemes have bus data analysed along specific road stretches within a scheme. Where available, general traffic journey times, traffic flow, cycle counts, and safety data are also analysed and monitored. Boroughs are provided with data associated with a scheme and can request new schemes and their surrounding areas to be added.

Excess city hall equipment

Susan Hall: What will happen to any excess equipment once the move from City Hall is complete e.g. computer monitors?

The Mayor: A large proportion of the furniture and equipment from old City Hall has been re-used in new City Hall. Surplus items were, where possible, sold or given to charities and the remainder was sent for disposal as recycling with some funds being credited back to the GLA for the metal content. No surplus furniture or equipment went to landfill. Surplus monitors were disposed of through a specialist IT recycling company.

Preserving London’s Heritage Crossbones Graveyard

Caroline Pidgeon: Given a Roman mosaic has been discovered at the TfL owned Crossbones Graveyard site on Redcross Way, what plans do you have to ensure the preservation of these mosaics, both on and off the site?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) and its development partners U+I are working closely with Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) at the site next to the Crossbones Graveyard. The long-term future of the Graveyard itself was secured through a package of support agreed by TfL and U+I.
MOLA has moved the mosaic safely offsite for detailed analysis, including examining what is believed to be an earlier mosaic underneath the visible design.
TfL is discussing with MOLA what will happen to the mosaic once the conservation work is completed. TfL and U+I would ideally like to see the mosaic back on site once the building work is complete.

Operation Chronical

Susan Hall: Since the start of the Met's Operation Chronical how many:
•Passports or ID documents of foreign national offenders were recorded.
•Documents were supplied to Immigration Enforcement that were used to remove high risk foreign nationals. (This is how the Met said they would measure success in the Q3 Business Plan Update 2020/21)

The Mayor: The details of 90 individuals have been recorded since the start of Operation Chronical. The details of any documents seized are added to police systems at the point of arrest and are accessible by Immigration Enforcement through the Police National Database when and if required.
The Metropolitan Police Service do not hold data on how many high-risk foreign nationals have been removed as a result of Operation Chronical. This information is held by the Home Office.

Strip search data

Caroline Russell: In 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021, how many searches were conducted on members of the public by Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officers, where the search involved the removal of some or all of the individual’s clothing, exposing them naked or partially naked? Could you break these searches down by race, gender and age group and the type of search, for example (but not limited to): a) more thorough searches b) more thorough searches where intimate parts are exposed (MTIP), and c) other forms of strip searches, including PACE Code C defined strip and Intimate searches.

The Mayor: Please see attached the requested information. The supplied notes page should be read in conjunction with the data to aid in interpretation. The information includes more thorough searches conducted following a stop and search and strip searches in custody following arrest.

The Mayor: 0501_&_0528_Strip search data SPREADSHEET.xlsx

Action Plan Dashboard strip searches

Caroline Russell: In your Action Plan - Transparency, Accountability and Trust in Policing, you said: “MOPAC will produce a quarterly race equality audit, reporting on the MPS’ use of its powers, including for example, the use of Tasers and strip-searching.” However, your Action Plan Dashboard contains data on the use of tasers but nothing on strip searches. Do you have plans to add strip search data to the Action Plan Dashboard?

The Mayor: Transparency and accountability are key to building trust and confidence in the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). That is why my Office for Policing and Crime have developed and published the Action Plan dashboard bringing together a variety of disproportionality data in one place.
It is still my intention to have strip search data included in the dashboard and my Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime has continued to hold the MPS to account for providing that information for publication in the dashboard.
The MPS Data Office and Strategic Insight Unit are reviewing how the strip search data should be provided to ensure external users are able to easily understand and interpret the data. The MPS have told me they anticipate this process will be completed within the next couple of months.
I published my Action Plan as a direct response to community concerns about the disproportionate use of police powers. Recent events, including the serious questions raised in the Child Safeguarding Practice Review into the shocking and disturbing treatment of Child Q about racial bias and the adultification of Black children, only serve to underline the need for greater transparency and accountability.

Affordable homes

Emma Best: Will you please confirm how many GLA-funded affordable homes were started in the five years between 2016/17 and 2020/21?

The Mayor: I can confirm that funding via my programmes has resulted in 65,089 affordable homes to start on site between April 2016 and March 2021.

Pudding Mill Allotments (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: I understand that planned high-rise developments next to Pudding Mill Allotments will affect a significant portion of allotment holders’ access to sunlight on their plots. What assessment of access to light has LLDC undertaken in this case, especially given the assurances allotment holders were given when they moved site in 2016?

The Mayor: The proposals to build much needed homes at Bridgewater Triangle are long established with outline planning permission granted in 2012. Since then, additional planning obligations have been placed on LLDC to increase the levels of housing development and of affordable housing across remaining legacy sites, in order to meet my target of 50 per cent affordable housing on publicly owned land. To meet these requirements, LLDC has revisited the existing planning consent for the Bridgewater Triangle site which has resulted in a revised masterplan and increase in building heights on some plots.
While there will be some additional overshadowing of the allotment site when compared to the original consent, LLDC has worked to minimise the impact. An Environmental Impact Assessment was undertaken and submitted with the planning application in August 2021 and concluded that the development meets the Building Research Establishment (BRE) Guidance for daylight, sunlight and overshadowing and the impact is therefore acceptable.
The BRE Guidance only requires an assessment of the sunlight and overshadowing on 21st March. However, to provide a better understanding of how the allotment site will be affected at different times of the year, additional assessments beyond the BRE Guidance were also carried out on 21st June and 21st December as well as an assessment of Annual Light Exposure (i.e. how much light is expected to be available to the allotments site) in March, June, October and December.
On the basis of these assessments, LLDC understands there will be sufficient sunlight available during the spring, summer and early autumn for the allotment holders to continue to grow crops.

TDIU 3

Susan Hall: For each year, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, how many reports to the Telephone Digital Investigation Unit (TDIU) did not receive a response broken down by phone and online?

The Mayor: All victims of crime receive a response when they report a crime that is investigated by the TDIU. Each investigation is assessed under the crime assessment principles. Where the victim speaks to the TDIU over the phone, they are told at that time of the next step or outcome (i.e., screened in for further investigation or told no further lines of enquiry). All victims are sent a letter or email explaining the outcome of the initial investigation.

Internet monitoring

Susan Hall: Page 134 of the Force Management Statement 2021 mentions remote internet monitoring. How many people are monitored this way? For each year of 2020 and 2021, how many arrests and other outcomes resulted from this?

The Mayor: The MPS currently has 1,017 remote internet monitoring devices deployed. This work is contracted out to Esafe who do the same work for most UK Police forces. Esafe will alert the MPS of any suspicious activity on monitored devices.
In 2020 the MPS had 460 licences deployed which resulted in 20 arrests, 5 cautions and 3 interviews. In 2021 the MPS deployed a further 557 licences resulting in a further 30 arrests, 21 cautions, 3 interviews, 2 recalls to prison, and 1 warrant.

Action Plan Dashboard: feedback from communities

Caroline Russell: The MOPAC quarterly update on your Action Plan - Transparency, Accountability and Trust in Policing says: “MOPAC continues to listen to feedback from communities on what they would like to see in the dashboard.” From which groups is this feedback gathered, how is it gathered, and what changes have been implemented as a result?

The Mayor: My MOPAC Evidence and Insights team have delivered presentations on the dashboard to a number of community events and groups, including the Action Plan’s public review meetings and the VRU youth action group. This feedback has directly influenced the development of the dashboard, including ensuring Borough level data was incorporated on each section where possible, user and navigation Instructions were made clearer, and the language of the individual section narratives was altered.

CViT

Susan Hall: For each year 2020 and 2021 how many Cash and Valuable in Transit (CViT) crimes took place took place?

The Mayor: Please see attached the information supplied by the MPS for both MQ 1274 (cash in transit) and 1275 (ATM). The supplied notes page should be read in conjunction with the data to aid in interpretation.
It should be noted that the figures provided relate to offences where the location of the offence has been identified as Cash in Transit - Commercial. In recognition of this, the type of offence has been included within the data.

The Mayor: 1274_&_1275_CViT_ATM.xlsx

Officer rest days

Unmesh Desai: Please advise, by month, the total number of Met police officer rest days cancelled in each of the last 3 years.

The Mayor: The number of cancelled rest days in each year is shown below. Verified data for 2021 is not yet available.
2018 454,343
2019 524,104
2020 530,299
Note that the cancelling and re-rostering of rest days is an established mechanism set out in Police Regulations to help police forces manage their resources. The data is unable to differentiate between days cancelled by the officer or the organisation.

Capital Letters (1)

Tony Devenish: What is the GLA's involvement and role with Capital Letters?

The Mayor: The GLA was involved in the early stages of the work that led to the creation of Capital Letters and supported its aims to reduce competition between boroughs for accommodation and to enable more homeless households to remain close to their home area.
This work was also supported by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (then Department for Communities and Local Government) and London Councils and it was developed through a sub-group of the Housing Directors’ group that London Councils supports. By contributing to this work, the Mayor supported councils’ efforts to find stable private rented housing for homeless households as an alternative to temporary accommodation.
Capital Letters operates for the benefit of and is owned by member local authorities. The GLA does not currently have a formal role in its operation, although it continues to work closely with member boroughs and London Councils to ensure that it is delivering the best outcomes for boroughs and vulnerable households.

Mentors for young people from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities

Caroline Russell: On 9 February 2022 you announced: ‘a mentor for every young Londoner’. How many of these mentors will work with young people in Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) communities?

The Mayor: The New Deal for Young People will give all young people in need, access to a personal mentor by 2024, with a focus on those young people who face the biggest challenges. This includes those young people such as Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities that can have poorer educational and social outcomes and experience discrimination and social exclusion.
The £7.2m City Hall investment I announced in February will kickstart this commitment and expand the mentoring offer in the capital to some of those young people most in need. However, this is very much the beginning of a joint effort and I look forward to continuing to work with London Councils, youth and community groups, anchor institutions, businesses and other funders to identify gaps in provision and ensure young people most in need, including those from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, can benefit from the life changing impact a mentor can have.

Capital Letters (3)

Tony Devenish: What key performance indicators have been set out for Capital Letters, and what is the GLA's role in achieving these?

The Mayor: As stated in MQ 2022/1277, the GLA does not have a formal role in the operation of Capital Letters and therefore it does not hold a role in achieving or monitoring Capital Letters’ performance indicators.
Capital Letters’ key performance indicators are agreed with their Board & DLUHC and they report performance to them, the member boroughs and their elected member representative.
Capital Letters’ targets include the number of boroughs that are members/owners; the number of properties procured by them and let by members; the number of families provided with their tenancy sustainment service; the number of tenancies sustained over the assured shorthold tenancy period; the number of tenancies renewed; and the number of evictions avoided

Wearing masks on TfL services

Caroline Russell: Will Transport for London (TfL) continue to record mask-wearing on services, despite masks no longer being a condition of carriage? If so, could you provide the latest figures for TfL passengers who wear protective masks, and compare these figures with the number of passengers who wore them when it was a condition of carriage?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) continues to strongly recommend people wear a face covering when travelling on TfL services and in TfL stations. TfL will continue to ask customers via regular customer research whether they have been wearing face coverings on the network.
The latest results from TfL’s customer research suggest that 74 per cent of Londoners who travel on public transport wore a face covering on every journey between 7 February and 5 March 2022. Face coverings continued to be a condition of carriage for until 24 February, which may have influenced behaviour. This figure compares to 86 per cent of Londoners who claimed to wear a face covering on every journey between 13 December 2021 and 8 January 2022, when the national regulations for face coverings were in place.
TfL recorded data on the number of people removed from its services when masks were a condition of carriage and also recorded the number of fixed penalty notices (FPNs) issued when it was law to wear a face covering on public transport. My answer to question 2022/0416 provides details on the number of FPNs issued during the period the Government’s regulations were in place.

MPS leavers by borough

Caroline Russell: Could you provide the number of Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officers who have left the service since 2016, breaking this figure down by: a) year, b) borough, c) unit, and d) reason for leaving (eg resignation, retirement, termination)?

The Mayor: The table below shows the number of officer leavers by year, business group and reason for leaving. Information is not provided to a unit level due to the extensive volume of data this would involve.
Note that ‘other reasons’ includes medical, death and dismissal.
Year
Business Group
Resignation
Ordinary Retirement
Joining another Police Force
Other Reasons
Total
2016
Frontline Policing - BCU
354
267
136
69
826
Frontline Policing - Non BCU
66
175
29
18
288
Met Operations
58
287
36
26
407
Specialist Operations
41
212
16
8
277
Professionalism
9
50
3
0
62
Corporate Services
0
9
0
2
11
Digital & Technology
1
3
0
0
4
Career Transition
70
12
3
1
86
2016 Total
599
1,014
223
124
1,960
2017
Frontline Policing - BCU
357
273
262
65
957
Frontline Policing - Non BCU
63
192
47
15
316
Met Operations
72
313
48
22
456
Specialist Operations
41
228
21
9
298
Professionalism
9
59
3
4
75
Corporate Services
4
8
2
0
14
Digital & Technology
1
0
0
0
1
Career Transition
106
19
5
2
133
2017 Total
653
1,092
388
117
2,250
2018
Frontline Policing - BCU
393
244
203
65
905
Frontline Policing - Non BCU
63
158
41
13
275
Met Operations
73
308
41
29
451
Specialist Operations
68
220
16
17
321
Professionalism
8
66
5
2
81
Corporate Services
5
26
4
1
36
Career Transition
98
17
6
0
121
2018 Total
708
1,039
316
126
2,189
2019
Frontline Policing - BCU
478
216
205
74
973
Frontline Policing - Non BCU
40
139
40
11
230
Met Operations
69
306
38
22
434
Specialist Operations
32
248
24
7
311
Professionalism
7
57
9
8
80
Corporate Services
10
21
4
2
37
Career Transition
91
7
8
0
105
2019 Total
727
993
327
123
2,171
2020
Frontline Policing - BCU
468
188
160
43
859
Frontline Policing - Non BCU
22
99
27
5
153
Met Operations
47
212
46
18
323
Specialist Operations
35
147
32
9
222
Professionalism
6
57
8
4
74
Corporate Services
4
20
5
4
33
Career Transition
72
7
8
0
87
2020 Total
654
729
285
83
1,751
2021
Frontline Policing - BCU
499
162
106
62
829
Frontline Policing - Non BCU
21
106
23
8
159
Met Operations
40
217
39
20
316
Specialist Operations
33
168
15
8
223
Professionalism
9
45
5
3
62
Corporate Services
4
20
1
1
26
Digital & Technology
2
1
0
0
3
Career Transition
71
6
7
0
84
2021 Total
678
725
197
102
1,702
Total
4,019
5,593
1,736
675
12,023

Disproportionality Scrutiny Group

Caroline Russell: In your Action Plan - Transparency, Accountability and Trust in Policing you announced a three-month project with communities to co-design and launch a new Disproportionality Scrutiny Group. Did this project happen, and if so, what were the outcomes?

The Mayor: Following further extensive community consultation on the wider overhaul of community scrutiny mechanisms, it was decided to create an External Reference Group. This is more robust and wide-ranging than the initially envisaged Disproportionality Scrutiny Group. This will add valuable in-depth community representation in the scrutiny of the delivery of the commitments set out in the Action Plan. Members of the External Reference Group will take on lead roles a variety of roles, including attending the Disproportionality Board. Recruitment to the External Reference Group will begin imminently.

Expanding MPS ethnicity categories

Caroline Russell: Thank you for your answer to my question 2021/2759 on Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) ethnicity categories. The MPS workforce data report includes the ethnicity category ‘Black British’. Do you have plans to: a) include an Asian British category in the workforce data report, and b) expand the Self-defined Ethnicity Code categories to include categories such as Black British?

The Mayor: The National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) are currently undertaking consultation on the National Workforce Data Standards which will be adopted by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).
The MPS anticipates that, once implemented, there will be categories for both Black British and Asian British and that MPS workforce data will be published in accordance with this.

Women’s Night Safety Charter

Caroline Russell: You now have 700 venues and organisations signed up to your Women’s Night Safety Charter. How are you monitoring the effectiveness of the charter’s application within these venues and organisations?

The Mayor: I encourage any organisation that operates between 6pm and 6am to sign up to my Women’s Night Safety Charter and show their commitment to supporting women’s safety at night.
The Charter is making a difference and I regularly monitor signatories’ progress in meeting the pledges. For example, to date three quarters of businesses have taken steps to design spaces to make them safer for women at night and almost two thirds have implemented staff training to improve responses to reports of sexual harassment.
Regular monitoring also allows us to target our support. On 1 March, I announced £108,000 of funding from the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime to boost the impact of the Charter. This will develop and deliver specialist training and resources to drive up standards and make venues and public spaces safer for women at night.

Warmer Homes Scheme in Hillingdon

Onkar Sahota: How many Hillingdon residents have benefitted from your Warmer Homes scheme so far?

The Mayor: Between January 2018 and February 2022, my Warmer Homes programme received and replied to 90 enquiries from Hillingdon residents. These residents all received energy efficiency advice from my service.
47 homes that met the eligibility criteria for the programme proceeded to receive a Whole House Assessment and proposal of a package of works, detailing the energy efficiency measures that could be installed. Following these reports, 24 households agreed to energy efficiency improvement measures being installed. All of these improvements have been made or are scheduled to be completed in the coming weeks.

Blue badge

Leonie Cooper: How many Blue badge holders in Wandsworth have requested and been granted exemption from ULEZ for the next 2 years?

The Mayor: There is no Blue Badge exemption from the ULEZ, however keepers of vehicles registered with a 'disabled' or 'disabled passenger vehicles' tax classbenefit from a time-limited grace period where they receive an automatic exemption from paying the ULEZ charge until 26 October 2025. This is validas long as their vehicle doesn't change tax class. Registration details for these exempt vehicles is held by the DVLA, not Transport for London.
During its first month of operation, 92 per cent of all vehicles operating in the expanded zone met the ULEZ standards. This means that the vast majority of drivers, including Blue Badge holders, will not need to pay the daily charge.

“Incel” extremism

Unmesh Desai: Does the Met have a way of recording those who hold extremist views based on the “Involuntarily Celibate” or “Incel” ideology? If no, in light of the atrocity involving multiple homicides in Plymouth recently, please will you ask that the Met starts identifying and recording those who hold these type of extremist views.

The Mayor: ‘Incel’ ideology is recognised as an extremist ideology by SO15 (Counter Terrorism Command) within the MPS in London. Currently Prevent referrals that relate to extreme misogyny ideologies such as Inceldom are recorded under the wider ‘Mixed, Unstable or Unclear’ categorisation. This category also includes those with a fascination with different types of extremist or violent content, including school shootings.

The Role of Football in Reducing Youth Violence (2)

Caroline Pidgeon: What work is the VRU undertaking to support the work of local clubs, such as the Lambeth Tigers, Madabout FC and Kinetic Academy in offering football to those at most risk of being drawn into violent crime?

The Mayor: Although the nature of sports interventions makes it difficult to maintain accurate participant numbers due to high uptake, a minimum of 3,242 participants aged 10-24 have been reached to date through various sports interventions including football, basketball and martial arts through the VRU MyEnds & Stronger Futures After School Provision programmes.
Engagement varies from weekly diversionary activities, 1:1 coaching and large one-off events/tournaments. Local clubs such as Blackwall FC in Tower Hamlets are delivering sporting activities for young people identified as being involved/at risk of serious youth violence. The club is mentoring 32 young people and facilitating initiatives such as the Tower Hamlets Island Community Network (THICN) winter football tournament to help resolve a 4-year rivalry between Stepney Green, Isle of Dogs and other neighboring areas where 117 young people participated.
Football Beyond Borders is delivering a sports-based, Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum which is supporting 144 young women identified as being at risk of exclusion and/or poor mental health.

Computer searches

Susan Hall: Page 132 of the Force Management Statement 2021 mentions a new digital capability that allows for offenders’ computers to be routinely searched for evidence. Please can you elaborate on this? For each year since it went live, please state how many times it has been used and provide a breakdown of the outcomes.

The Mayor: The MPS have advised that since June 2021 the BCU Jigsaw teams (that manage registered sex offenders) have been equipped with Advanced Digital Forensic (ADF) tablets to assist with the reviewing of internet enabled devices of registered sex offenders. The tablet connects to devices and uses bespoke law enforcement searches and the indecent images of children data base to identify new offending and prevent further offences, primarily against women and children.
The tablets have been deployed on average 70 times per month and has resulted in:
Less devices need to be sent to the lab - speeding up investigations and prosecutions. 60 fewer submitted since June 2021.

Community consultation in community monitoring

Caroline Russell: In your Action Plan - Transparency, Accountability and Trust in Policing, you said: “MOPAC will work with communities to ensure that the new arrangements reflect what local people think is needed in their area, with proposals brought forward by February 2021.” Could you describe the outcomes of MOPAC’s consultations with communities and young Londoners?

The Mayor: Engagement with communities continues to drive the delivery of my Action Plan. Communities told us they wanted greater involvement and representation in local scrutiny functions, with clear and robust mechanisms for holding the Met to account. Input from communities at the quarterly Action Plan public review meetings drives delivery, direction and approach. For instance, the October meeting focused on involving more young Londoners in local scrutiny of the police. Feedback included providing development opportunities and involving young people in the design of these scrutiny mechanisms.
As part of the commitment to overhaul local scrutiny functions, a steering group of community experts will support MOPAC to deliver a pilot across a number of boroughs. In response to young Londoners’ feedback, MOPAC has reserved spaces on that steering group for representatives from the Youth Participation Action Group and Peer Outreach Workers. MOPAC is also recruiting members to an External Reference Group to ensure the lived experiences of communities are at the heart of our decision making.

Economic growth

Neil Garratt: When assessing new policies or making decisions, what weight do you give to the impact on London’s economic growth versus other considerations, and how do you estimate what that impact is likely to be?

The Mayor: New policies or decisions are assessed against a variety of different factors. There are no prescribed weights attached to economic impact versus other considerations as it will depend on the nature of the policy, including the objectives and outcomes it aims to deliver.
Social, economic, strategic, financial, legal, management and commercial factors will all feed into the decision on a proportionate basis along with other considerations such as equalities and environmental impacts.
Where an economic appraisal is undertaken, HM Treasury Green Book guidance is followed with the aim of estimating the social/public value of the intervention. The precise methodology for doing so will depend on the policy area with supplementary Green Book and Departmental guidance followed where appropriate.

Women’s Night Safety Charter (2)

Elly Baker: The London TravelWatch Report “Personal Security on London’s Transport Network” recommends “The Mayor, TfL and policing authorities to work together to promote the Women’s Night Safety Charter as part of transport staff training”. Do you support this recommendation and, if so, how are you putting it into effect?

The Mayor: As mentioned in my response to Mayor’s Question 2022/0626, Transport for London (TfL) is rolling out sexual harassment training to its frontline customer facing staff. This training sets out TfL’s commitment to improving the safety of women and girls and some of the key actions being undertaken to achieve this. This includes being a signatory to the Women’s Night Safety Charter and developing an understanding of what this involved. As one of the original signatories of the Women’s Night Safety Charter, TfL is strongly committed to promoting the Charter and supporting its further development.

Extraordinary Funding and Financing Agreement for TfL (5)

Elly Baker: The Extraordinary Funding and Financing Agreement for Transport for London (TfL) for the period to 11 December 2021 says, “A joint review of demand (in September 2021) to inform future service level requirements and potential changes from 2022/23 onwards”. Has a joint review of demand been undertaken yet? If it has, will you publish the results?

The Mayor: I can confirm that the joint review of demand to inform service level requirements and potential changes from 2022/23 onwards, was completed in September 2021. Given the ongoing discussions over its long-term funding, TfL does not currently have plans to publish this document.

Capital Letters (2)

Tony Devenish: How much funding, if any, has the GLA provided to Capital Letters?

The Mayor: The GLA provided £20,000 in 2017 to pay for half of the feasibility study costs that led to the creation of Capital Letters. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (then Department for Communities and Local Government) provided funding to cover the other half of the costs

Extraordinary Funding and Financing Agreement for TfL (3)

Elly Baker: Following MQ 2021/2477 can you provide an update on progress towards £730m in savings at TfL by April 2023?

The Mayor: Transport for London’s (TfL) target is to make £730m of recurring operating cost savings between 2019/20 and 2024/25. TfL has so far delivered £340m of savings in 2019/20 and 2020/21, with further savings of around £60m forecast for this year. TfL expects to make £330m of savings between 2022/23 and 2024/25 and is currently developing plans to deliver the remainder of this challenging target.

Warmer Homes Scheme in Ealing

Onkar Sahota: How many Ealing residents have benefitted from your Warmer Homes scheme so far?

The Mayor: Between January 2018 and February 2022, my Warmer Homes programme received and replied to 83 enquiries from Ealing residents. These residents all received energy efficiency advice from my service.
50 homes that met the eligibility criteria for the programme proceeded to receive a Whole House Assessment and proposal of a package of works, detailing the energy efficiency measures that could be installed. Following these reports, 31 households agreed to energy efficiency improvement measures being installed. All of these improvements have been made or are scheduled to be completed in the coming weeks.

Proportion of London's Traffic Made Up Of Ride-Sharing Vehicles

Nicholas Rogers: Please give an estimate of the proportion of London’s traffic that is made up of ride-share vehicles such as Uber.

The Mayor: Broad estimates are available from numberplate recognition cameras around London. Data from these are processed in a way that is fully compliant with Data Protection requirements. The table attached shows latest available estimates (for 2019) of the percentage composition of traffic, by time period across the day. Ride sharing vehicles would generally be represented by Private Hire Vehicles (PHVs). No data are available about the specific composition of this group.
The coverage of cameras outside of the Congestion Charging Zone is substantially less than in inner/central areas, meaning that these estimates have a wider range of uncertainty. Data are provided separately for the Congestion Charging Zone, and for the rest of Greater London outside the zone.

The Mayor: 0840 - Table_Proportion of London’s Traffic Made Up Of Ride-Sharing Vehicles .docx


  0840 Table_Proportion of London’s Traffic Made Up Of Ride-Sharing Vehicles .pdf

Grants for buying back larger homes

Siân Berry: What opportunities exist within the Affordable Housing Programme to allow higher grant rates for the Right to Buy Back scheme to cover the purchase of larger sized existing homes for families?

The Mayor: My Right to Buy-back programme provides capital grant funding for boroughs to convert market properties, including ex-council homes, to affordable housing. My Right to Buy-back programme forms part of the Affordable Homes Programme (AHP) 2016-2023 and will close in March 2023. Grant rates available through my Right to Buy-back programme are limited by AHP headroom and must reflect standard grant rates provided through that programme to ensure value for money is being achieved.
My Right to Buy-back programme has made specific provision for higher grant rates for larger homes, where these homes are housing Afghan families. In the longer-term, these affordable homes will be available for other Londoners.
I will shortly be launching a £1 million revenue fund to aid delivery of the Right to Buy-back programme.

Targeting street drinkers

Onkar Sahota: Ealing’s trading standards and licensing teams recently joined forces with the police to inspect some off-licences in Southall, following reports of street drinkers harassing lone females in the area. The joint operation was to remind off-licence owners of their legal obligations to support the council’s efforts to curb street drinking in hot spots around the borough. How can the Metropolitan Police Service build on work like this?

The Mayor: In my Police and Crime Plan I have set out my expectation that the MPS and all partners should be working together as closely as possible to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour.
Neighbourhood officers are already working together with Councils and other partners to take a problem-solving approach to local issues, and they will continue to build on this good work. My Plan underlines the importance of these local relationships, and I will continue to give my full support to strengthening these vital links during this term.
The Plan also sets out how more officers will bolster visible neighbourhood policing, focusing on crime hotspots and town centres across the capital – helping to crack down on crime and antisocial behaviour and reassure Londoners.

Extension of the Wandsworth Bridge Road Scheme to West Side

Tony Devenish: Hammersmith & Fulham Council cancelled a 14th March meeting on the proposed extension of the Wandsworth Bridge Road scheme to West Side, claiming this was “because of elections”. Given purdah does not start until 28th March, has the Council given TfL a better excuse for cancelling the meeting?

The Mayor: I understand you are referring to the community-led information sessions organised by the Council, which have been running since February to update the public about plans for the western extension of the Traffic, Congestion & Pollution Reduction scheme. Transport for London has not been involved in these directly, so is not aware of any other reason for the postponement of the final session.

Catalytic Thefts

Krupesh Hirani: Do you agree that local BCU commanders should liaise with Surrey Police to replicate their tactics on catalytic thefts, which has brought about a 71% drop in this crime in the county?

The Mayor: The MPS uses a mixture of proactive and reactive methods to address catalytic converter theft, similar to the approach taken by Surrey police. A series of catalytic converter marking events have been run together with a prevention campaign encouraging the use of independently tested security rated products. The MPS has also engaged with companies to ensure their converter clamp products are tested to reach a Sold Secure Gold standard via the Secured by Design (SBD) scheme. In addition, some vehicle manufacturers are now designing the issue out by positioning the catalytic converter in a position not easily accessible by potential thieves.
Surrey police also made a number of arrests after residents reported incidents to the police. I would urge Londoners to report concerns to the MPS so that they can continue to take action.

Air Quality Monitoring and Remediation Works (2)

Krupesh Hirani: How many air quality monitors in London are close to cladding remediation works?

The Mayor: This information is not readily available. The GLA is responsible for administering a number of cladding remediation programmes in London on behalf of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. As part of this we expect applicants to ensure that contractors are minimising the impact of works on residents and the local community

Right To Buy Back Fund

Sem Moema: In addition to the deals agreed with Islington and Hounslow, how many other boroughs have bid for Right to Buy Back funding? Are you able to disclose the total number of homes that have been bid for?

The Mayor: I do not publish bidding information for any of my capital funding programmes, as it is commercially sensitive information shared in confidence.
However, I will publish information about allocations made through my Right to Buy Back programme once these have been confirmed. As of 23 March 2022, we have RtBB allocations for eight London boroughs.

Capital Letters (5)

Tony Devenish: To date, do you know how many homeless households have been helped by Capital Letters, and how many properties have been procured? What has been the GLA's role in achieving this?

The Mayor: As stated in MQ 2022/1277, the GLA was involved in the early stages of the work that led to the creation of Capital Letters, including by providing funding for the initial feasibility study.
The GLA does not currently have a formal role in the operation of Capital Letters.
In March 2022, Capital Letters confirmed to me that since 2020 they have offered 10,700 properties to their member boroughs, who have let 3,663 to homeless families.

Capital Letters (4)

Tony Devenish: Do you know how many staff Capital Letters employs, and what proportion of these are funded by the GLA?

The Mayor: The GLA does not monitor Capital Letters' number of employees. The GLA does not fund any Capital Letters posts.
The GLA provided funding to support the feasibility study that led to the creation of Capital Letters.

Failure to investigate crimes

Tony Devenish: Do you agree with Sir Tom Windsor that it is unjustifiable for police to decline to attend at and properly investigate crimes of a series nature, such as burglary?

The Mayor: The MPS policy is that victims of residential burglaries will always get a personal visit from the police. This can be through emergency response or safer neighbourhood teams.
Aspart of my new Police and Crime Plan, local MPS teams will focus on reducing current and emerging priority crime types in the communities they serve, including drug dealing, burglary and antisocial behaviour. MOPAC will monitor the performance of local police and community safety partners in dealing with neighbourhood crimes.
Burglary does continue to be a challenge, but as of November last year the MPS had seen a 32 per cent reduction in burglary offending compared to the comparative period over the past two years.
The MPS has appointed a dedicated lead responsible officer to enhance its response to burglary. Dedicated burglary teams have also been introduced, focused on improving the initial and secondary investigations of burglary and robbery across each BCU.
The MPS has been conducting specific weeks of action aimed at identifying, arresting and bringing to justice individuals or groups responsible for committing burglaries across London.
This has helped to increase the detection rate for burglary.

Priorities for the Next Met Commissioner

Caroline Pidgeon: What do you believe the top priority should be for the next Met Commissioner?

The Mayor: This week I launched my new Police and Crime Plan, outlining my key priorities for policing and community safety over the next three years.
My priorities are: reducing violence in all of its forms – including violence against women and girls; increasing trust and confidence; improving the service provided to victims of crime; and protecting Londoners from criminal exploitation and harm.
I will be looking to the new Commissioner to deliver my new Police and Crime Plan, which will shape policing in London for the coming years.
It has also become crystal clear to me that there are deep cultural issues within the MPS.
The new Commissioner must clearly demonstrate that they understand the scale of the cultural issues within the MPS and the urgency with which they must be addressed. They must have a robust plan to address the deep cultural issues that we know exist in the police in relation to sexism, misogyny, racism, homophobia and discrimination.

Brownhill Road/Torridon Road junction

Caroline Pidgeon: In answer to question 2021/3572 you stated ‘This scheme is currently in the detailed design stage, with the consultation report due to be published late this year. Works are provisionally programmed to take place in 2022, subject to funding being available.’ Following the repeated delays to much needed pedestrian improvements, please provide an update as to when improvements will finally take place.

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has made good progress on the design of this scheme to enhance pedestrian facilities and improve safety - but construction is subject to further Government funding for capital projects beyond 24 June 2022, when the latest short-term funding allocation ends. Subject to funding, TfL hopes to construct the scheme in winter 2022/23.

The VRU and Sports Coaching

Caroline Pidgeon: What wider work is the VRU doing to support sports coaching across London, given the role sports often play in reducing or directing young Londoners away from violent crime?

The Mayor: Working with the GLA community sport team, the VRU has funded successful sport-based holiday and after-school provision over the first Mayoral term. Ongoing discussion during the pandemic has confirmed VRU appetite and intention to continue to invest in Sport Unites, for the delivery of key recovery-focused outcomes for vulnerable and at-risk young Londoners through the engagement medium of sport.
Alongside this, the VRU’s MyEnds programme has been delivering sports-based intervention, including boxing/mixed martial-arts, running, athletics, horse riding and football, across 8 hyper local sites in London. While the primary focus has been prevention/early intervention and diverting young people away from problem behaviours/supporting positive behaviours, the programme has invested in upskilling coaches, leading to outcomes that directly address local violence and reach those most at risk. This includes upskilling coaches with conflict resolution training which helped de-escalate a critical incident at Millwall FC’s weekly football session. Newham’s Fight for Peace Academy has developed a mentorship and employment programme for young people to train as boxing coaches who in turn then deliver weekly boxing sessions to at risk youth.

Met Engagement with the LGBTQ+ Community Forums

Caroline Pidgeon: Does the Met proactively engage with community LGBTQ+ forums where they exist?

The Mayor: In recent months this engagement has included the recent Stephen Port murder inquests, but such discussions might also consider fear of crime within communities and ways to increase reporting. In the North-West and East area BCUs there has been recent focussed work to develop new mechanisms and forums to ensure local officers have direct links with LGBTQ+ communities.

London’s night-time economy (1)

Marina Ahmad: What has been the overall impact of Omicron on London’s night-time economy?

The Mayor: London’s night time businesses and night workers have been hit hard by the pandemic, with night time venues being some of the first to close and the last to open to help stop the spread of COVID.
Omicron arrived at what should have been the busiest time of year for night time, culture, leisure and hospitality businesses. National figures from the Night Time Industries Association revealed that, on average, night time venues suffered £46,000 each in lost sales and cancellations during the festive period, with UK Hospitality reporting a £3bn hit to its members compared to 2019.
Night time businesses still face ongoing challenges, with jobs and skills shortages in the hospitality industry and rising energy costs. I continue to call on the government to do more to support these businesses, including keeping VAT at the lower rate of 12.5 per cent.

Updating the Terms of Reference for Baroness Casey’s Review of Culture and Standards in the Met

Caroline Pidgeon: On 1 February 2022 I wrote to Baroness Casey calling for her to update the terms of reference for her review into culture and standards in the Met so that it includes specific reference to homophobia, racism and sexism. Will you support this call, and push both Baroness Casey and the Met to update the terms of reference?

The Mayor: I have been clear that Baroness Casey’s independent review into the Met’s culture and standards, must address the issues of misogyny, sexism, racism and homophobia, and scrutinise police processes and standards of behaviour amongst officers and staff. The Terms of Reference are sufficiently broad to encompass these important aspects and therefore there is no need to update them.

Police Estate (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: When will the Met’s refreshed Estates Strategy finally be published and why is it taking so long?

The Mayor: We hope to publish the Estate Strategy soon. The complexity of ensuring that operational, financial, geographical, legal and estate implications are fully taken into account is necessary before the strategy can be finalised.

VRU Work by Borough

Caroline Pidgeon: Please break down the VRU’s current interventions and projects by the boroughs they are taking place in.

The Mayor: Since its creation, my Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) has received £35.4m of Mayoral funding, and an additional annual allocation from the Home Office. In 2021 this translated into 266 programmes and projects which supported 70,000 young Londoners.
The VRU’s remit is much wider than just funding and includes developing partnerships; policy advocacy; research into the causes of violence; and funding an innovative programme of investment to test what works.
The VRU has funded a range of organisations working across London including Schools and Pupils Referral Units, hospital-based youth workers, Local Authorities as well as funding a range of Voluntary and Community Sector Organisations, for example, through parenting and after school provision programmes.
The VRU Contracts Register can be found here https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/violence-reduction-unit-vru/about-londons-violence-reduction-unit which includes all London-wide VRU programmes and in addition the VRU are happy to provide a full list by borough.

ULEZ and air quality improvements in Greenwich (2)

Len Duvall: Are there anticipated to be areas in Greenwich where further improvements to air quality are needed?

The Mayor: Please see response to 2022/0726.

ULEZ and air quality improvements in Greenwich (1)

Len Duvall: What improvements to air quality are anticipated in air pollution hotspots in Greenwich as a result of the expanded ULEZ?

The Mayor: The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) expansion is vital to achieving compliance with legal limits for air pollution and will set us on track for meeting the more stringent health-driven World Health Organization guidelines. It is part of a wider suite of measures to improve London’s air quality as set out in more detail in 2022/0725.
In recognition of legal requirements the Royal Borough of Greenwich has an Air Quality Action Plan specific to the issues in this borough as well as seven focus areas. This sets out a number of local actions and welcomes the expansion of ULEZ as an approach to reduce air pollution.
Specifically in Greenwich, analysis undertaken when planning the expanded ULEZ showed that NOx inside the boundary was expected to reduce by 33 per cent. Outside of the boundary we expected reductions of 35 per cent. Specific modelling was undertaken on the A205 approaching the Woolwich Ferry, where Transport for London (TfL) estimated there would be a 30 per cent reduction in road transport NOx on this stretch of road. Even residents close to the boundary were expected to see a net improvement in air quality. This has so far been supported by results in the one month report, which showed high increases in compliance with ULEZ, from within (92 per cent) and outside of the zone (82 per cent).
We will be reporting again on the expanded zone in spring, six months after the scheme has been in operation, and at the one year mark, where I will be able to update on its air quality impact, and potentially look at some specific zones to assess impact on hotpots such as the A205 approach to the Woolwich Ferry.

Extraordinary Funding and Financing Agreement for TfL (9)

Elly Baker: How much a) grant and b) loan was actually provided by Government for the 11 June 2021 funding deal, the 10 December 2021 extension, the 17 December 2021 extension, the 4 February 2021 extension and the 21 February extension?

The Mayor: The 1 June funding agreement covered the funding period 29 May 2021 to 11 December 2021, which provided £1.08bn base funding for that period.
Thereafter, there were four short extensions covering 11 December to 17 December 2021, 17 December to 4 February 2022, 4 February to 18 February 2022 and 18 February to 25 February 2022. No further base funding was provided over these four extensions.
Transport for London (TfL) also received revenue top-up to the pre-determined DfT revenue scenario. The amounts received over the period requested, to date are:
The Final Reporting Period True-up process to determine any final payment of top-up grant and adjust for exceptional costs over the period 1 June 2021 to 25 February 2022 is currently being performed.
There was no loan support in the periods in question.

Met vetting backlog

Unmesh Desai: Please advise the number of current serving officers who do not hold the required level of vetting? Please also provide this figure as of December 2020, December 2019 and December 2018.

The Mayor: As of 15 December 2021, there were a total of 1,009 serving officers with expired vetting. These consisted of:
The number of officers with expired vetting for the last three years was recorded as:
*The MPS was unable to provide figures for December 2018. May 2018 figures were available and have been substituted.

Anti-idling advertising campaign

Emma Best: Could you give an update on the second anti-idling advertising campaign which was due to be launched in November?

The Mayor: The Mayor’s Air Quality Fund’s Idling Action Project is a London-wide behaviour change campaign tackling unnecessary pollution emissions from idling vehicles through various engagement methods, one of which was an advertising campaign. The second round of the Idling Action advertising campaign ran throughout November 2021. The campaign displayed images on varying media across London – 30 billboards, 55 bus stops, 171 bus rears and 400 diesel pumps. These had a total reach of 18.16 million views. The campaign’s radio advert was played across four London stations - LBC, Kiss, Radio X and Magic - with a reach of 17.7million.
Digital adverts were displayed on webpages via the Google Display Network, geographically targeted to be shown only in all 31 project participating boroughs, with 26,000 click throughs recorded to the project website. The media advertising was supplemented by a social media campaign, with many boroughs also sharing the campaign materials on their social media channels.

Engine Idling Fines

Emma Best: Can you set out what is being done in London to improve the poor rate of fines being issued for engine idling?

The Mayor: Through my Air Quality Fund I have funded the Idling Action Project, which is a London-wide behaviour change campaign tackling unnecessary pollution emissions from idling vehicles. This is done through various engagement methods, managed by the City of London Corporation and London Borough of Camden. All 31 boroughs participating in the Idling Action project are required to adopt anti-idling enforcement powers. As part of the project, Idling Action has supported boroughs in idling enforcement by providing workshops to share best practice in the legal routes for idling enforcement. Three workshops have been held. Idling Action has provided officer training on idling enforcement and has developed a local authority enforcement toolkit which is available on the project website.

Former LFB Headquarters

Susan Hall: Please could the Mayor set out what the London Fire Brigade’s plans are for its former HQ on Albert Embankment given the Secretary of State’s refusal of planning permission and the subsequent appeal?

The Mayor: Further to the Secretary of State’s decision to refuse planning permission on 8 Albert Embankment in July 2021, it was confirmed in November that the developer had not been granted leave to appeal the decision. Consequently, London Fire Brigade is now considering possible options on the site and next steps. The LFB have indicated they would be happy to brief the Assembly Member in her capacity of Chair of the Fire, Resilience and Emergency Planning Committee on this matter.

Short Term Lets & Airbnbs (4)

Sem Moema: Do you know of any international examples of bringing short-term lets back into long-term use that could be used in London?

The Mayor: My officers have closely watched the responses of global cities in regulating the short term lettings sector. Approaches include limiting some or all of the number of nights properties can be let for, the number of listings landlords can advertise on letting platforms, the number of occupants permitted in each property, and various other measures.
Registration schemes operate in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Paris, and other comparable cities.
While London has limited lettings through a 90-night limit on short term lettings use, there is not yet a landlord registration scheme and only the government can introduce the legislation to create one. A simple, mandatory register of properties let short term is needed in London in order for local authorities to be able to enforce the 90-night limit. I have called for a register as described in 2022/1117, and this is my priority for regulating the sector.

CW9 (3)

Tony Devenish: Do you and TfL recognise that increased congestion caused by CW9 is worsening air quality for Hammersmith residents?

The Mayor: Cycleway 9 is still under construction at Hammersmith Gyratory and there are also works ongoing to upgrade the cycle lanes on Chiswick High Road. Once construction is complete, Transport for London will start to assess any change in air quality using the data from the nearest air quality monitoring stations and local traffic monitoring. Air quality data in London is available for everyone to access through a number of websites, including Breathe London.
Significant changes in traffic trends have occurred over the past two years as people have changed their travel behaviour throughout the pandemic alongside wider changes to the vehicles due to my tightening of the LEZ standards and expanded ULEZ. Monitoring data from Chiswick High Road since cycle lanes were introduced in December 2020, and across London, indicates that air quality continues to improve.

ULEZ and air quality improvements in Lewisham (1)

Len Duvall: What improvements to air quality are anticipated in air pollution hotspots in Lewisham as a result of the expanded ULEZ?

The Mayor: The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) expansion is vital to achieving compliance with legal limits for air pollution and will set us on track for meeting the more stringent health-driven World Health Organization guidelines. It is part of a wider suite of measures to improve London’s air quality. Other measures include cleaning up London’s bus and taxi fleet, reducing emissions from construction and action to promote the uptake of zero emission vehicles.
In recognition of legal requirements the London Borough of Lewisham has an Air Quality Action Plan specific to the issues in this borough as well as focus areas. This sets out a number of local actions and welcomes the expansion of ULEZ as an approach to reduce air pollution.
Specifically, in Lewisham, analysis undertaken when planning the expanded ULEZ showed that NOx inside the boundary was expected to reduce by 30 per cent. Outside of the boundary it was expected that NOx would reduce by 26 per cent. Residents close to the boundary were also expected to see a net improvement in air quality. This has so far been supported by results in the one-month report, which showed high increases in compliance with ULEZ, from within (92 per cent) and outside (82 per cent) of the zone.
I will be reporting again on the expanded zone in spring, six months after the scheme has been in operation and at the one year mark, where I will be able to update on its air quality impact, and potentially look at some specific areas to assess impact on hotpots.

Details on 23 People Seriously Injured in Bus or Coach Safety Incidents during the period 01 April 2021 to 26 June 2021

Keith Prince: In your response to question 2021/4896, you provided a spreadsheet which responded to my request for details on the 'on 23 People Seriously Injured in Bus or Coach Safety Incidents during the period 01 April 2021 to 26 June 2021’, a KSI number I extracted from page 11 of the Safety, Health and Environment Quarterly report, Quarter 1 2021/22 presented to TfL’s Safety Sustainability and Human Resources Panel on 14 September 2021. However, an analysis of your spreadsheet shows 27 total incidents, of which 2 were where “First Aid Provided on Scene”, 11 where "No Treatment Offered or Required” and 14 were “Taken to Hospital” with no indication of how serious the injury was.

Meanwhile, the Quarterly Bus Safety Data published on TfL’s website shows that, for the exact same period, 42 people were sent to hospital from bus safety incidents and 1 person was killed. How many people were seriously injured in bus and coach Incidents between 1 April and 26 June 2021: is it 23, 27, 43 or some other number? Given the apparent poor quality of TfL’s Bus Safety Performance Data Reporting, how is anyone expected to scrutinise the progress—or lack of it—towards your stated goal of Vision Zero?

The Mayor: The three data points you are quoting (23, 27 and 43) are all correct based on the information known by Transport for London (TfL) at the time of publication.
TfL use multiple safety performance indicators and shares these publicly to give greater insight and transparency on passenger safety. For example, safety data is sourced from both bus operators and from the police. Having these different lenses on safety and undertaking longitudinal analysis gives it confidence in the improvements it has made to the safety of people using London's buses. TfL also regularly updates the data as it becomes available.
The differences you describe are because the data you have extracted and analysed have referenced different points in time (data latency), are using different definitions (seriously injured vs taken to hospital) and different indicators of safety performance (road safety reported to the police and bus safety reported to bus operators). The reported definition, metrics and data of publication are clearly stated in the corresponding reports and mayoral responses. These should be considered when extracting and combining the data in the way described as it will lead to unavoidable differences.

ULEZ and air quality improvements in Lewisham (3)

Len Duvall: What further interventions are planned in order to address areas in Lewisham where further improvement is needed?

The Mayor: The London Borough of Lewisham already has its own Air Quality Action Plan specific to the issues in this borough as well as focus areas. This sets out a number of local actions and welcomes the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) as a strategic approach to reduce air pollution. My officers are working with the borough to make sure its action plan is targeted and effective in these focus areas.
I recently published updated modelling to show ground level concentrations of key pollutants across Greater London for the new base year of 2019. It demonstrated significant reduction in nitrogen dioxide across the whole of London, and that the pace of this reduction notably accelerated from 2016. I will soon also be publishing new projections for the years 2025 and 2030, with concentration maps and emissions data for key air quality pollutants. At this point we will be able to update our understanding of the areas where further improvement is needed, and the London Borough of Lewisham will be able to update its focus areas so that we can work together to take appropriate action to tackle these isolated hotspots.

ULEZ and air quality improvements in Lewisham (2)

Len Duvall: Are there anticipated to be areas in Lewisham where further improvement to air quality are needed?

The Mayor: I recently published updated modelling to show ground level concentrations of key pollutants across Greater London for the new base year of 2019. It demonstrated significant reduction in nitrogen dioxide across the whole of London, and that the pace of this reduction notably accelerated from 2016. I will soon also publish new projections for future years, with concentration maps and emissions data for key air quality pollutants.
My programme of air quality policies has proven to be successful in helping London get closer to compliance with legal limits for air pollution, as set out in more detail in Question 2022/0725. Alongside my strategic measures, London boroughs also have their own Air Quality Action Plans which set out measures and actions specific to the issues in the boroughs.
Although air pollution is going in the right direction, we need to be conscious that even more needs to be done to meet the more stringent health-driven World Health Organization guidelines. This is why I am also looking at future options to further improve air quality, such as extending ULEZ even further, or modifying it to make it even more impactful.

Metropolitan Police Service Taskforce week of action on women’s safety

Caroline Russell: How regularly do you intend the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to conduct weeks of action on women’s safety similar to the one that happened between 6 and 12 December 2021?

The Mayor: The MPS Taskforce’s week of action in December 2021 was a joint initiative, working in partnership with local officers and business partners. This was part of a range of MPS activity to reduce and respond to violence against women and young girls in the lead up to Christmas. The week of action formed part of the MPS’s regular operations targeting perpetrators of violence against women and girls, with a focus on identified hotspots such as the vicinity of transport hubs and areas with busy night-time economies. The week of action also included a series of engagement events to build public trust and confidence in the MPS.
Currently the Taskforce have not scheduled a further week of action. However, they will continue to ensure additional reassurance patrols and activity to continue to improve and support women’s safety going forward.

Vision Zero and TfL outsourcing Bus Crash Investigations to Bus Operators

Keith Prince: In your response to question 2019/20149, you stated "Transport for London (TfL) and I are confident that the bus operating companies are best placed to undertake investigations into their incidents.” Meanwhile, your response to question 2020/4103 reveals that these same investigations are the apparent source of the victim-blaming narratives that TfL dutifully published before any Inquests had been carried out, which are in my view a manifest failure of due process that I pointed out in question 2020/3655.
Do you accept that TfL’s seemingly complacent acceptance of whatever narrative it receives from bus operators concerning their alleged investigations of crashes of their own vehicles that have resulted in someone being killed or seriously injured suggests that, in order that these bus crash investigations have any credibility, TfL must set up an Independent Bus Crash Investigation Unit as was recommended by the London Assembly Transport Committee in Recommendation 10 of its 2017 “Driven to Distraction” bus safety investigation?

The Mayor: My ambitious Vision Zero action plan seeks to eliminate all deaths and serious injuries from London’s roads by 2041. As part of this approach, Transport for London (TfL) closely reviews the evidence from investigations relating to fatal and serious bus incidents prepared by the operators, often seeking further information or clarification of the facts.
Much of the data collected around the circumstances is objective or underpinned by CCTV evidence, and therefore would not differ whether compiled by an independent entity, TfL, or the operators themselves. Any attempt to misrepresent the circumstances would be taken extremely seriously.
TfL seeks to be as open and transparent as possible with data, while balancing the sensitive subject matter of these investigations, and since late 2020 has simplified the information released on the TfL website.
TfL has recently participated in the Department for Transport’s consultation for the creation of a Road Collision Investigation Branch, which it strongly supported as an important additional mechanism to improve understanding of the causes and factors involved in collisions. TfL awaits with interest the findings and next steps following this.

Unsafe Homes Listed on the Homes for Londoners Portal

Hina Bokhari: You assured me in August 2021 that steps were being taken to ensure no properties with fire safety defects would be listed on the Homes for Londoners portal again, yet at least one property has recently appeared that has defects with its cladding system. Please outline what changes were made to the way properties were listed when I originally raised concerns in July 2021, and what further steps will now be taken to further safeguard against the listing of dangerous properties?

The Mayor: I have taken swift action to improve the process of listing properties on the portal. In response to your initial letter in July 2021, I introduced a new requirement that partners must confirm the properties advertised through the portal are safe for occupation at the time of listing. I also introduced an expectation that partners would share all available information with prospective residents, to improve the transparency of purchasing and renting out properties.
This approach aims to ensure that minimum guarantees are provided while reducing the impact of systematic failures of building safety on London’s existing shortage of affordable housing. None of this absolves building owners and partners from their responsibility to get remediation work done, nor Ministers from their duty to finally act to ensure no affected flat owner has to pay to fix building safety defects. I expect partners to continue to take action to remedy defects and to communicate these actions proactively

Violence Suppression Units (3)

Sem Moema: How many officers are there in the Violence Suppression Units and how many posts are vacant? Please give an indication of numbers by borough or BCU.

The Mayor: Each of the 12 Basic Command Units (BCUs) has a Violence Suppression Unit (VSU). Each VSU nominally consists of an Inspector, 4 Sergeants and 30 Constables.
BCUs are responsible for ensuring their VSUs are resourced, and this is managed through monthly Local Resource Planning Meetings. The BCUs will flex and allocate resources based on available posts and business need.
The table below gives an indication of VSU strength as of end of June 2021.
BCU
Insp/DI
PS
PC
AS – Central South
1
4
30
AW – Central West
1
4
45
CE – Central East
1
4
25
CN – Central North
1
4
39
EA – East Area
1
4
24
NA – North Area
1
4
33
NE – North East
1
4
31
NW – North West
1
4
24
SE – South East
1
5
25
SN – South Area
1
4
36
SW – South West
1
4
35
WA – West Area
1
3
18

Resources for Review of Culture and Standards in the Met

Caroline Pidgeon: Can you please provide the details of the staffing resource allocated to Baroness Casey’s review of culture and standards in the Met.

The Mayor: Baroness Casey’s independent review is being conducted by a team appointed by her. This team currently consists of eight people with further people expected to join as the review progresses and develops.
Any further additions to the team will be considered by Baroness Casey as necessary.

National Gallery

Tony Devenish: Reports that the National Gallery is terminating a 30 year partnership with BP has been hailed as a victory for anti-fossil fuel campaigners. Given the divesting action you have taken towards GLA pensions, is this your view, or are you concerned that those aligned to groups like XR are guilty of at best lobbying which is more akin to bullying, or at worst coercive?

The Mayor: There is an urgent need to tackle climate change - the biggest global threat we face today. I share the passion of those campaigning to tackle the climate emergency and promote urgent and large scale change to reduce emissions and have always supported the democratic right to protest. However it is essential that protests are peaceful, lawful and safe.
I have committed to take all possible steps to divest the London Pension Fund Authority (LPFA) of its investments in extractive fossil fuels. Since 2017 the LPFA have divested from companies such as BP, Shell and Coal India.
Regarding sponsorship from an extractive fossil fuel organisation, I would encourage all organisations to consider whether such relationships are consistent with a net-zero London by 2030 and to also take all possible steps to divest from fossil-fuel investments where these exist.

Waking Watch Relief Fund

Anne Clarke: How many grants have been made from this fund to date in London? Please provide a breakdown since the funds began, showing the size of grant and date of grant award.

The Mayor: As at 16 March 2022, 77 grant payments have been authorised from the Waking Watch Relief Fund totalling £7,139,887.
Waking Watch Relief Fund
Payment amount (£)
Date of authorisation
£82,368
10/09/2021
£17,040
10/09/2021
£277,888
25/08/2021
£68,782
22/09/2021
£103,040
24/09/2021
£82,658
24/09/2021
£37,883
24/09/2021
£25,328
04/10/2021
£124,399
11/10/2021
£50,890
19/10/2021
£118,103
21/10/2021
£327,600
22/10/2021
£161,280
27/10/2021
£201,462
28/10/2021
£111,240
01/11/2021
£99,836
01/11/2021
£291,301
03/11/2021
£39,294
03/11/2021
£20,665
04/11/2021
£133,527
04/11/2021
£68,577
03/11/2021
£145,718
08/11/2021
£103,631
09/11/2021
£69,600
10/11/2021
£143,040
15/11/2021
£27,810
18/11/2021
£45,665
25/11/2021
£121,125
25/11/2021
£25,760
08/12/2021
£20,592
08/12/2021
£67,547
07/12/2021
£153,335
07/12/2021
£38,334
08/12/2021
£91,096
09/12/2021
£90,058
09/12/2021
£81,949
09/12/2021
£73,901
09/12/2021
£115,425
09/12/2021
£129,003
10/12/2021
£83,717
10/12/2021
£9,471
13/12/2021
£134,330
15/12/2021
£44,062
15/12/2021
£97,875
16/12/2021
£47,769
17/12/2021
£361,219
17/12/2021
£80,651
17/12/2021
£119,100
17/12/2021
£28,857
21/12/2021
£28,702
21/12/2021
£20,487
21/12/2021
£22,775
21/12/2021
£18,476
21/12/2021
£6,332
23/12/2021
£98,031
06/01/2022
£143,023
11/01/2022
£65,815
11/01/2022
£67,547
12/01/2022
£53,692
12/01/2022
£151,366
13/01/2022
£53,691
17/01/2022
£114,848
26/01/2022
£56,541
01/02/2022
£56,843
01/02/2022
£90,312
01/02/2022
£11,016
02/02/2022
£46,872
04/02/2022
£165,288
09/02/2022
£50,365
16/02/2022
£40,320
01/03/2022
£22,680
04/03/2022
£36,360
04/03/2022
£128,761
04/03/2022
£309,845
08/03/2022
-£820.00*
09/03/2022
£140,008
09/03/2022
£146,909
15/03/2022
*This funding has been reclaimed from the applicant concerned, as the costs of the fire alarm installation were £820 lower that the original quote.

Social and Private Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund

Anne Clarke: How many grants have been made from these funds to date in London? Please provide a breakdown since the funds began, showing the size of grant; social or private residential; and month of grant award.

The Mayor: As of 17 March 2022, 99 grant payments have been made from the Social Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund. In total, £180,585,080 has been paid out to date. It should be noted that grant is paid in two tranches for this programme – 80 per cent and 20 per cent.
As of 16 March 2022, 201 grant payments have been made from the Private Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund. In total, £59,566,928 has been paid out to date. It should be noted that most buildings under this programme follow a monthly payment structure.
Please see table below for a breakdown of grant paid.
Social Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund
Payment amount (£)
Date of authorisation
277,842.00
Jan 29, 2019
1,967,170.00
Feb 8, 2019
7,610,557.00
Feb 14, 2019
5,556,092.00
Feb 14, 2019
1,265,600.00
Feb 25, 2019
1,533,820.00
Mar 15, 2019
663,718.00
Mar 15, 2019
663,718.00
Mar 15, 2019
13,091,657.00
Mar 18, 2019
1,794,918.00
Mar 28, 2019
324,543.00
Mar 28, 2019
633,606.00
Mar 29, 2019
276,242.00
May 10, 2019
3,028,886.00
Apr 18, 2019
359,650.00
May 29, 2019
678,305.00
May 8, 2019
513,030.00
May 8, 2019
785,957.00
May 15, 2019
1,841,562.00
Jun 7, 2019
844,872.00
Dec 20, 2019
1,124,949.00
Dec 19, 2019
4,847,856.00
Dec 18, 2019
89,912.00
Dec 13, 2019
826,553.00
Nov 27, 2019
2,046,413.00
Nov 12, 2019
242,894.00
Nov 7, 2019
332,181.00
Nov 1, 2019
332,181.00
Nov 1, 2019
8,985,065.00
Oct 29, 2019
332,181.00
Oct 16, 2019
1,328,722.00
Oct 16, 2019
1,328,722.00
Oct 15, 2019
1,328,722.00
Oct 15, 2019
141,837.00
Oct 9, 2019
2,399,994.00
Oct 4, 2019
2,399,994.00
Oct 4, 2019
2,399,993.00
Oct 4, 2019
388,993.00
Oct 1, 2019
266,266.00
Mar 11, 2020
4,740,146.00
Mar 6, 2020
826,553.00
Mar 5, 2020
837,066.00
Feb 5, 2020
826,553.00
Feb 5, 2020
505,514.00
Jan 23, 2020
730,991.00
Jan 23, 2020
128,258.00
Jan 23, 2020
1,944,327.00
Aug 14, 2019
2,619,090.00
Jul 5, 2019
567,350.00
Jul 5, 2019
1,378,865.00
Jul 18, 2019
93,584.00
Jul 18, 2019
491,793.00
Jul 19, 2019
382,284.00
Apr 23, 2020
85,525.00
Jun 3, 2020
328,221.00
Jun 3, 2020
308,583.00
Jun 8, 2020
1,726,003.00
Sep 30, 2020
84,634.00
Sep 23, 2020
393,546.00
Sep 8, 2020
987,501.00
Aug 18, 2020
1,010,044.00
Aug 18, 2020
10,169.00
Aug 6, 2020
45,618.00
Jul 23, 2020
2,294,445.00
Jul 2, 2020
580,576.00
Dec 23, 2020
517,709.00
Dec 23, 2020
2,380,000.00
Feb 16, 2021
1,002,458.00
Mar 10, 2021
155,089.00
Mar 24, 2021
588,396.00
Mar 26, 2021
144,044.00
Mar 26, 2021
3,588,224.00
Mar 30, 2021
165,930.00
Mar 30, 2021
383,455.00
Mar 30, 2021
165,930.00
Mar 30, 2021
103,440.00
Apr 15, 2021
588,396.00
Apr 28, 2021
144,044.00
Apr 28, 2021
459,841.00
Jun 18, 2021
8,657,574.00
Sep 10, 2021
356,052.00
Sep 30, 2021
316,403.00
Sep 20, 2021
145,406.00
Nov 17, 2021
163,527.00
Nov 17, 2021
2,185,646.00
Dec 16, 2021
1,731,448.00
Dec 16, 2021
893,187.00
Dec 21, 2021
211,218.00
Feb 4, 2022
206,638.00
Feb 4, 2022
206,638.00
Feb 4, 2022
206,638.00
Feb 4, 2022
244,318.00
Mar 11, 2022
347,598.00
Mar 12, 2022
426,712.00
Mar 12, 2022
1,933,417.00
Mar 12, 2022
12,739,389.00
Mar 17, 2022
13,112,546.00
Mar 17, 2022
13,326,775.00
Mar 17, 2022
14,004,582.00
Mar 17, 2022
Private Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund
Payment amount (£)
Date of authorisation
49,496.00
Feb 3, 2020
200,631.00
Apr 14, 2020
25,104.00
Apr 16, 2020
211,821.00
May 22, 2020
60,000.00
Jun 24, 2020
409,384.00
Jul 1, 2020
12,563.00
Jul 3, 2020
209,382.00
Jul 3, 2020
160,000.00
Jul 16, 2020
19,000.00
Jul 20, 2020
274,822.00
Jul 27, 2020
202,574.00
Aug 26, 2020
141,400.00
Sep 15, 2020
194,841.00
Sep 28, 2020
87,973.00
Oct 27, 2020
313,654.00
Oct 28, 2020
606,704.00
Nov 11, 2020
429,000.00
Nov 11, 2020
154,978.00
Nov 27, 2020
140,530.00
Dec 11, 2020
429,780.00
Dec 17, 2020
119,920.00
Dec 21, 2020
393,143.00
Dec 23, 2020
400,000.00
Jan 6, 2021
773,872.00
Jan 6, 2021
78,004.00
Jan 7, 2021
48,717.00
Jan 19, 2021
569,928.00
Jan 20, 2021
76,721.00
Feb 2, 2021
16,645.00
Feb 5, 2021
42,364.00
Feb 10, 2021
50,122.00
Feb 11, 2021
296,996.00
Feb 11, 2021
104,911.00
Feb 12, 2021
491,348.00
Feb 18, 2021
181,811.00
Feb 18, 2021
71,731.00
Feb 23, 2021
128,737.00
Feb 25, 2021
28,061.00
Mar 2, 2021
119,802.00
Mar 19, 2021
229,933.00
Mar 19, 2021
110,557.00
Mar 19, 2021
113,315.00
Mar 23, 2021
57,718.00
Mar 24, 2021
486,220.00
Mar 26, 2021
408,133.00
Mar 30, 2021
411,243.00
Mar 30, 2021
238,772.00
Apr 9, 2021
87,823.00
Apr 21, 2021
524,280.00
Apr 22, 2021
49,061.00
Apr 26, 2021
37,477.00
Apr 28, 2021
147,108.00
Apr 29, 2021
195,903.00
May 5, 2021
171,394.00
May 6, 2021
57,800.00
May 6, 2021
439,000.00
May 10, 2021
160,957.00
May 12, 2021
3,054,706.00
May 14, 2021
234,719.00
May 20, 2021
640,155.00
May 20, 2021
45,100.00
May 20, 2021
270,742.00
May 21, 2021
55,400.00
May 24, 2021
160,189.00
May 26, 2021
109,596.00
Jun 3, 2021
29,142.00
Jun 3, 2021
151,808.00
Jun 3, 2021
104,057.00
Jun 8, 2021
242,312.00
Jun 10, 2021
217,896.00
Jun 10, 2021
214,509.00
Jun 15, 2021
540,752.00
Jun 15, 2021
187,336.00
Jun 17, 2021
184,050.00
Jun 21, 2021
88,000.00
Jun 21, 2021
971,835.00
Jun 23, 2021
36,540.00
Jun 23, 2021
295,500.00
Jun 23, 2021
189,704.00
Jun 23, 2021
280,000.00
Jun 23, 2021
103,889.00
Jun 25, 2021
173,869.00
Jul 8, 2021
29,443.00
Jul 8, 2021
156,612.00
Jul 14, 2021
250,560.00
Jul 19, 2021
557,934.00
Jul 21, 2021
112,461.00
Jul 21, 2021
99,144.00
Jul 21, 2021
104,251.00
Jul 21, 2021
301,750.00
Jul 21, 2021
51,411.00
Jul 21, 2021
74,093.00
Jul 21, 2021
52,045.00
Jul 21, 2021
47,339.00
Jul 21, 2021
200,939.00
Jul 22, 2021
76,445.00
Jul 22, 2021
268,384.00
Jul 23, 2021
225,152.00
Jul 23, 2021
98,336.00
Jul 29, 2021
157,345.00
Aug 2, 2021
39,042.00
Aug 9, 2021
118,254.00
Aug 9, 2021
44,340.00
Aug 19, 2021
1,478,152.00
Aug 20, 2021
504,627.00
Aug 20, 2021
625,538.00
Aug 24, 2021
1,007,969.00
Aug 24, 2021
104,896.00
Aug 26, 2021
316,107.00
Aug 27, 2021
53,697.00
Sep 3, 2021
103,114.00
Sep 7, 2021
79,367.00
Sep 8, 2021
348,000.00
Sep 10, 2021
118,574.00
Sep 15, 2021
326,796.00
Sep 15, 2021
28,035.00
Sep 17, 2021
631,964.00
Sep 17, 2021
496,415.00
Sep 24, 2021
372,572.00
Sep 27, 2021
59,827.00
Sep 27, 2021
538,554.00
Sep 27, 2021
65,955.00
Sep 27, 2021
1,425,239.00
Oct 12, 2021
598,835.00
Oct 12, 2021
457,867.00
Oct 13, 2021
33,954.00
Oct 13, 2021
90,905.00
Oct 13, 2021
231,154.00
Oct 14, 2021
292,717.00
Oct 26, 2021
473,140.00
Oct 26, 2021
98,446.00
Oct 28, 2021
296,609.00
Oct 29, 2021
3,726,434.00
Nov 2, 2021
66,911.00
Nov 8, 2021
893,811.00
Nov 11, 2021
55,221.00
Nov 17, 2021
140,578.00
Nov 18, 2021
245,888.00
Nov 23, 2021
226,637.00
Nov 25, 2021
1,097,986.00
Nov 25, 2021
48,340.00
Nov 30, 2021
45,442.00
Nov 30, 2021
135,254.00
Dec 2, 2021
363,071.00
Dec 3, 2021
1,759,156.00
Dec 7, 2021
77,037.00
Dec 7, 2021
155,508.00
Dec 10, 2021
24,574.00
Dec 15, 2021
165,379.00
Dec 15, 2021
14,731.00
Dec 16, 2021
25,572.00
Dec 16, 2021
36,958.00
Dec 16, 2021
13,370.00
Dec 16, 2021
14,039.00
Dec 16, 2021
467,265.00
Dec 16, 2021
93,366.00
Dec 17, 2021
239,206.00
Dec 17, 2021
1,035,283.00
Dec 17, 2021
620,348.00
Dec 17, 2021
312,799.00
Dec 17, 2021
19,895.00
Dec 17, 2021
99,609.00
Dec 17, 2021
99,388.00
Dec 17, 2021
48,030.00
Dec 17, 2021
1,234,974.00
Dec 17, 2021
20,800.00
Dec 17, 2021
333,854.00
Dec 17, 2021
201,121.00
Dec 21, 2021
33,157.00
Dec 22, 2021
1,160,204.00
Dec 23, 2021
623,806.00
Jan 11, 2022
135,156.00
Jan 13, 2022
1,060,598.00
Jan 19, 2022
249,545.00
Jan 21, 2022
290,184.00
Jan 25, 2022
324,124.00
Jan 25, 2022
186,435.00
Feb 2, 2022
78,952.00
Feb 2, 2022
175,678.00
Feb 11, 2022
16,133.00
Feb 11, 2022
38,298.00
Feb 11, 2022
47,767.00
Feb 11, 2022
7,117.00
Feb 11, 2022
17,219.00
Feb 11, 2022
60,260.00
Feb 15, 2022
167,426.00
Feb 17, 2022
59,475.00
Feb 18, 2022
407,692.00
Feb 18, 2022
602,647.00
Feb 24, 2022
389,708.00
Feb 24, 2022
143,017.00
Feb 28, 2022
770,726.00
Feb 28, 2022
173,368.00
Mar 4, 2022
1,529,898.00
Mar 7, 2022
172,340.00
Mar 9, 2022
368,783.00
Mar 9, 2022
752,481.00
Mar 10, 2022
25,247.00
Mar 10, 2022
152,083.00
Mar 14, 2022
30,294.00
Mar 14, 2022

Extraordinary Funding and Financing Agreement for TfL (12)

Elly Baker: Have any disputes arisen under this agreement? Please provide a list and explain how they have each been resolved.

The Mayor: Transport for London’s (TfL’s) funding agreements set out what constitutes a “Dispute” and the process that must be followed should a Dispute arise. To date, one Dispute has been raised by HM Government under the terms of the funding agreements. This related to the delivery of certain information in relation to options for new/increased income sources; where, despite TfL having delivered the information on time, Government felt further information was necessary in order to meet the requirements of the funding agreement. TfL and HM Government agreed to a revised set of dates for submission of this further information. Those dates were subsequently met with proposals that were satisfactory to the Government.

Short Term Lets & Airbnbs (3)

Sem Moema: Have many short-term let properties such as Airbnbs do you estimate have been brought back into long-term use following the decline in tourists visiting the capital?

The Mayor: The decline in properties let on a short term basis during 2020 and 2021 is described in MQ 2022/1116. Given the ongoing recovery of short term let activity, it is not clear that there has been a net or sustained transfer of properties from short term lets to longer term use.

Knife Crime Prevention orders

Unmesh Desai: What are the reasons behind the low use of Knife Crime Prevention Orders so far and will the use of this new tool be increased throughout the 14 month trial period?

The Mayor: Knife Crime Prevention Orders (KCPOs) allow intervention at an early stage to divert people at risk of committing knife crime offences. The MPS are 8 months into a 14-month pilot, with 36 KCPOs being granted in London so far.
As is often the case with new legislation, police and other agencies involved in KCPOs have been navigating through new processes and building up knowledge following the initial launch. Learning was identified following unsuccessful court applications, which allowed the MPS to understand how the Courts may interpret the civil orders and adapt to the thresholds required.
The pilot is undergoing a robust and scientific evaluation to determine the impact of KCPOs and to monitor how they are implemented and developed throughout the pilot period.
The MPS are confident that during the remaining trial period they will see more KCPOs granted by the courts to test their effectiveness and what role these orders can play in reducing knife crime.
The KCPO pilot representsa small fraction of a much bigger package of measures working to make London safer.

Empty Dwelling Management Orders (5)

Sem Moema: What powers would you like devolved to councils so those in London can take action on empty homes?

The Mayor: I would like to see more power given to local authorities in London to tackle empty properties, such as giving councils the power to increase council tax premiums on homes which are empty for long periods of time.
I have called for a number of measures to address overseas investors who buy property in London with no intention of living here. These included increasing the council tax premium to 300% for homes of overseas owners after the property has been empty for two years or more.

Empty Dwelling Management Orders (4)

Sem Moema: Do you agree that a council tax premium of 100% is a strong enough measure to bring empty properties back into use in London?

The Mayor: I am encouraged by the government’s proposal to decrease the time a property is required to be empty before applying the 100 per cent council tax premium and I hope this may incentivise better use of some homes, however I believe more can be done. In 2014 my predecessor as Mayor of London called for a 1000 per cent rate of council tax on empty properties, and I would encourage him to explore this proposition further now that he his Prime Minister.
I support local housing authorities having greater powers over empty properties and believe there is more the government can do to assist them, for example by decreasing the two year wait until an EDMO can be used. However, taking action on the small number of long-term empty homes in London will only go a small way to fixing the housing crisis.

Short Term Lets & Airbnbs (2)

Sem Moema: Would a requirement to notify boroughs that a property is being used for short-term lets and powers to enforce the 90-day limit be useful to bring those homes back into longer term use?

The Mayor: Analysis by my officers in Housing Research Note 2020/04 estimates that less than half of one per cent of London’s homes are let on a short term basis for longer than the 90-night limit. However, the proportion of homes let on a short term basis is much higher in certain boroughs such as Westminster, Camden and Tower Hamlets.
I have called for a registration system to help enforce the law on short term lets. Such a registration system would support boroughs to enforce the existing law, making it harder for landlords to get away with illegally renting out for maximum profit instead of providing long term homes for Londoners.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is due to launch a consultation on the Tourist Accommodation Registration Scheme which the government committed to in the Tourism Recovery Plan. My response to this consultation will support a register

Short Term Lets & Airbnbs (1)

Sem Moema: Before 2020, some boroughs such as Westminster, Kensington & Chelsea and Tower Hamlets had over 5% of their properties advertised on Airbnb. What impact has the pandemic had on short-term lets in London?

The Mayor: Since 2020, periods of more severe lockdown have been associated with fewer properties being let on a short-term basis. This effect was very pronounced in the spring and summer of 2020. Inside Airbnb data – an indicator of the wider short term lets market – shows that as of late 2021, short-term letting activity was growing strongly but had not yet recovered to pre-pandemic levels. Further increases are expected based on the relaxation of pandemic-related restrictions and continued recovery in tourism volumes.

Building Safety Fund

Anne Clarke: How many grants have been made from this fund to date in London? Please provide a breakdown since the funds began, showing the size of grant and date of grant award.

The Mayor: As of 17 March 2022, 120 grant payments have been made from the Building Safety Fund totalling £107,884,396. This consists of £62,063,166 in pre-tender support, and £45,821,230 as the first payment of the Grant Funding Agreement.
Please see table below for a breakdown.
Payment amount (£)
Date of authorisation
£167,267.00
15/10/2020
£515,104.00
09/12/2020
£571,988.00
07/01/2021
£219,898.00
11/01/2021
£1,764,874.00
13/01/2021
£463,175.00
22/01/2021
£455,989.00
27/01/2021
£131,519.00
04/02/2021
£628,330.00
12/02/2021
£60,301.00
24/02/2021
£323,825.00
24/02/2021
£1,801,940.00
25/02/2021
£465,657.00
25/02/2021
£227,348.00
25/02/2021
£274,178.00
25/02/2021
£230,728.00
08/03/2021
£479,823.00
10/03/2021
£372,809.00
11/03/2021
£398,934.00
17/03/2021
£728,716.00
17/03/2021
£88,023.00
30/03/2021
£460,607.00
30/03/2021
£347,273.00
06/04/2021
£916,157.00
07/04/2021
£207,214.00
08/04/2021
£1,105,267.00
08/04/2021
£944,089.00
14/04/2021
£720,162.00
14/04/2021
£235,571.00
16/04/2021
£2,220,132.00
16/04/2021
£1,083,674.00
19/04/2021
£470,328.00
21/04/2021
£292,957.00
21/04/2021
£212,888.00
05/05/2021
£80,956.00
07/05/2021
£1,388,588.00
14/05/2021
£1,798,652.00
19/05/2021
£157,071.00
19/05/2021
£246,495.00
24/05/2021
£1,003,815.00
04/06/2021
£228,782.00
08/06/2021
£783,091.00
11/06/2021
£91,918.00
15/06/2021
£335,660.00
16/06/2021
£170,400.00
21/06/2021
£628,113.00
28/06/2021
£162,337.00
28/06/2021
£142,199.00
30/06/2021
£1,132,684.00
08/07/2021
£110,111.00
15/07/2021
£375,402.00
23/07/2021
£393,939.00
23/07/2021
£267,276.00
27/07/2021
£497,725.00
28/07/2021
£495,864.00
28/07/2021
£215,192.00
28/07/2021
£472,520.00
28/07/2021
£425,443.00
28/07/2021
£100,000.00
04/08/2021
£311,927.00
10/08/2021
£314,659.00
11/08/2021
£279,364.00
12/08/2021
£1,427,461.00
17/08/2021
£889,482.00
24/08/2021
£606,617.00
24/08/2021
£4,613,623.00
24/08/2021
£2,369,705.00
15/09/2021
£558,041.00
15/09/2021
£288,281.00
20/09/2021
£154,202.00
20/09/2021
£1,051,044.00
23/09/2021
£224,842.00
23/09/2021
£159,707.00
24/09/2021
£1,335,694.00
24/09/2021
£655,880.00
29/09/2021
£308,483.00
30/09/2021
£1,458,594.00
30/09/2021
£195,232.00
07/10/2021
£407,506.00
11/10/2021
£1,018,784.00
12/10/2021
£200,867.00
19/10/2021
£239,337.00
25/10/2021
£513,355.00
25/10/2021
£593,917.00
25/10/2021
£691,702.00
28/10/2021
£164,345.00
12/11/2021
£439,053.00
16/11/2021
£1,320,246.00
24/11/2021
£1,575,865.00
30/11/2021
£185,844.00
16/12/2021
£1,551,058.00
17/12/2021
£295,420.00
21/12/2021
£739,070.00
21/12/2021
£59,622.00
22/12/2021
£1,569,995.00
05/01/2022
£146,749.00
13/01/2022
£97,038.00
20/01/2022
£160,000.00
25/01/2022
£521,530.00
27/01/2022
£3,642,884.00
27/01/2022
£86,666.00
28/01/2022
£80,898.00
28/01/2022
£7,864,134.00
31/01/2022
£1,290,314.00
01/02/2022
£3,702,761.00
04/02/2022
£243,181.00
08/02/2022
£35,000.00
09/02/2022
£422,398.00
10/02/2022
£5,496,083.00
11/02/2022
£177,146.00
11/02/2022
£1,106,062.00
11/02/2022
£7,325,314.00
14/02/2022
£1,325,606.00
17/02/2022
£505,037.00
17/02/2022
£3,006,012.00
23/02/2022
£578,823.00
01/03/2022
£154,053.00
01/03/2022
£5,167,453.00
08/03/2022
£285,828.00
08/03/2022
£4,403,624.00
08/03/2022

Church Land and Affordable Housing (3)

Sem Moema: What additional benefits do you estimate could be secured from building on church land in London through Section 106 agreements?

The Mayor: There is the potential for church-owned land to contribute towards a diverse land supply to deliver more genuinely affordable homes for Londoners (please see my answers to questions 2022/1108 and 22/1110). In terms of additional benefits that could be secured through Section 106 agreements, development would need to meet policies in my London Plan which would entail contributing towards community and other infrastructure, as well as delivering environmental benefits.

Empty Dwelling Management Orders (3)

Sem Moema: The Coalition Government in 2012 increased the time a property has to be vacant from six months to two years. Do you believe this was a mistake in terms of the impact on London?

The Mayor: I support local authorities having more powers to bring empty homes in their areas back into use and believe that this increase was an unhelpful and unnecessary change. EDMOs are tools to be used as a last resort and must be approved by a tribunal, and therefore are unlikely to be used after short periods of time without good reason.

Empty Dwelling Management Orders (2)

Sem Moema: The Government’s Levelling Up White Paper proposes reducing the time a property has to be empty before an EDMO can be applied for from two years to one year. What impact do you believe this will have on empty homes in London?

The Mayor: The Levelling Up White Paper proposes the introduction of powers for councils to apply a council tax premium of up to 100 per cent to homes left empty for one year, rather than two. I welcome this proposal and would support a similar change to the EDMO criteria.
Increasing the powers of local authorities over empty homes would discourage purchasers from buying properties in London with no intention of living in them or renting them out. Bringing empty homes back into use would make more homes available for Londoners and may contribute to improving affordability, although the number of additional homes needed to tackle the housing crisis is much greater than the number of long-term empty homes.

Street Numbering

Tony Devenish: Noting TfL’s Streetscape Guidance which encourages local authorities to monitor building numbering, do you agree there should be formal guidance to standardise as much as feasible, road property numbering? Will you raise with London Councils on practical and potentially Equality Act grounds?

The Mayor: Streetscape Guidance currently recommends that London boroughs regularly monitor the quality of street nameplates and building numbering in their area. I have asked Transport for London officers to raise this with London Councils as part of any future review of the Streetscape guidance.

Empty Dwelling Management Orders (1)

Sem Moema: How many times have Empty Dwelling Management Orders (EDMO) been applied in London since their introduction in 2006? Is it possible to have a breakdown by each year?

The Mayor: The Mayor does not hold data on the number of Empty Dwelling Management Orders that have been issued by local authorities or approved by Residential Property Tribunals. The government also does not publish such data.

Strip searches

Caroline Pidgeon: Could you provide a breakdown of the number of searches conducted on members of the public by Metropolitan Police officers involving the removal of some or all of their clothing, revealing them naked or partially naked, in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 based on a) gender b) ethnicity, and c) relevant age ranges, of the people searched?

The Mayor: Please see attached the requested information. The supplied notes page should be read in conjunction with the data to aid in interpretation. The information includes more thorough searches conducted following a stop and search and strip searches in custody following arrest.

The Mayor: 0501_&_0528_Strip search data SPREADSHEET.xlsx

Operation Autumn Nights

Caroline Russell: After the completion of Operation Autumn Nights, the six-week “surge of activity to prevent and bear down on violence, including violence against women,” how are you planning to continue to protect Londoners, and particularly women, at night?

The Mayor: The safety of women and girls and tackling wider violence in London are my top priorities. The MPS has a strong plan to suppress violence with targeted enforcement of violent offenders, combined with support to help divert people away from crime.
To date over 700 organisations have signed up to the Women’s Night Safety Charter, which commits the venue to training staff in how to take action against harassment on the premises. Our work to ‘design out crime’ from the public realm includes working with councils to make sure that public areas are well lit.
My refreshed VAWG Strategy is placing a greater emphasis than before on prevention and early intervention, alongside effective enforcement against perpetrators and high quality, accessible support for victims and survivors. It will be published in the coming months, after the May elections, following continued engagement with partners and the publication of the Police and Crime Plan.

Roads protest injunction

Caroline Russell: The recent ‘persons unknown’ injunction granted against protesting on roads has effectively created a national anti-protest law without involving parliament which applies to any protest on any major road. What are you doing to protect the right to protest within London?

The Mayor: I strongly support the right to peaceful protest and fully understand people’s desire to have their voices heard. Peaceful protest plays a vital role in democratic society. I remain concerned about the Government’s plans in relation to Part 3 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill and its impact on the right to peaceful protest and urge the Government to accept the amendments to Part 3 made by the Lords. These amendments go in large part to answer the concerns raised in the Joint Committee on Human Rights’ report, which concluded that Part 3 of the Bill introduces draconian measures on non-violent protest which are neither proportionate nor necessary.
The protesters taking part in obstructing major roads around the capital put their own lives at risk and the lives of other road users, as well as causing huge levels of disruption to Londoners. I urge those wanting to highlight important and serious concerns to exercise their rights within the law, ensuring their own and others’ safety.

The Role of Football in Reducing Youth Violence (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: Are MOPAC and the VRU working with the league football clubs here in London on what more can be done to promote and support young Londoners, particularly those from disadvantaged communities, to get into football?

The Mayor: The VRU’s commissioned partners work closely with several London football associations and in particular Palace for Life which is a key partner in the Croydon MyEnds programme and the Millwall FC who are involved in the Southwark MyEnds programme.
In addition, the VRU were very supportive of Arsenal’s recent ‘No More Red’ initiative which works to keep young people safe from knife crime and youth violence, and the VRU Director followed up on discussions with the club.
VRU works closely with the GLA Sports team around using sport to provide hope and prevent violence and this is also aligned to MOPAC’s contribution to Premier League Kicks programme which engages children and young people of all backgrounds and abilities, in football, sport and personal development. There are 15 Club Community Organisations delivering the universal Premier League Kicks programme with 249 venues hosting Kick related activity, reaching over 13,201 individuals (aged 8-19 years) attending the programme.

Quarterly Bus Safety Data - KSIs from Activity Incidents

Keith Prince: After analysis of the Quarterly Bus Safety Data that—after my repeated requests—you recently restored in downloadable form to the TfL website, I note that, during the period 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2021, 1 person has been killed and 259 people have been sent to hospital by an injury-causing action that TfL’s data records 1230 times in the period as an “Activity Incident”. Exactly what is an “Activity Incident” and why is this not defined anywhere in the data or on TfL’s Website?

The Mayor: Transport for London’s (TfL) ongoing dedication to improving public access to bus safety data is part of my commitment to delivering Vision Zero. TfL’s recent improvements to data provision have helped to increase transparency and accessibility through a combination of the most appropriate business intelligence tools and open data provision.
These tools now mean definitions can be more easily associated with the data. The definitions have been updated on the bus safety dashboard which can be found on the Bus safety data page of TfL’s website.
In response to the particular definitions that you have queried in this and your subsequent three Mayor’s Questions (2022/1217, 2022/1218 and 2022/1219), I am happy to direct you as follows:
1. An activity incident: please see my response to Mayor’s Question 2019/4160
2. A personal injury event: please see my response to Mayor’s Question 2019/4160
3. A near miss event refers to an event that did not result in injury, illness, or damage – but had the potential to do so given a different circumstance.
4. A safety critical failure: please see my response to Mayor’s Question 2019/4160

Quarterly Bus Safety Data - KSIs from Personal Injury Events

Keith Prince: Analysis of the Quarterly Bus Safety Data that—after my repeated requests—you recently restored in downloadable form to the TfL website, I note that, during the period 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2021, 4 people have been killed and 1688 people have been sent to hospital by an injury-causing incident that TfL’s data records 11791 times as a “Personal Injury Event”. What exactly is a “Personal Injury Event” and why is this not defined anywhere in the published data or on TfL’s website?

The Mayor: Please refer to my response to Mayor’s Question 2022/1216.

Vision Zero - Independent Survey of London Bus Drivers

Keith Prince: Will you instruct TfL to conduct an independent survey of TfL bus drivers to assess their understanding of and appreciation for the main messages of your Vision Zero programme?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has regularly commissioned independent surveys of London’s bus drivers on safety. These surveys are on specific topics to explore issues such as bus driver fatigue (report published here: https://content.tfl.gov.uk/bus-driver-fatigue-report.pdf). Getting enough drivers to respond to surveys to achieve meaningful analysis is very challenging, despite bus operators and union support encouraging drivers to complete surveys. Greater engagement and depth of insight is achieved through workshops or small group interviews with drivers, but these are more resource intensive.
TfL will continue to engage with bus drivers on Vision Zero and will explore ways to reach more bus drivers to capture their views.

World Leading’ Bus Safety Standard - Independent Survey of London Bus Drivers

Keith Prince: Will you instruct TfL to conduct an independent survey of TfL bus drivers to assess their understanding of and appreciation for the main goals of TfL’s 'World Leading' bus safety standard?

The Mayor: As set out in my response to question 2022/1214, Transport for London (TfL) has regularly commissioned independent surveys of London’s bus drivers on safety.
TfL will continue to engage with bus drivers on achieving Vision Zero on London’s buses, including exploring current and future safety features.

Missing Children

Tony Devenish: The Children’s Commissioner, Rachel de Souza, believes 80,000 children have vanished from our schools during Covid. How many of those children are Londoners and what is the MPS doing to support those looking for our missing children?

The Mayor: Children who are missing in education are school-age children who are not registered at a school and are not receiving a suitable education elsewhere. The number of children is not known, because the data is not collected at a national level.
In terms of children persistently absent from school, the London rate is in line with the national rate of 13%. For more information please see https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/cco-where-are-englands-children-interim-findings-mar-2022.pdf.
Keeping children in school is a high priority of mine which is why I have to date invested over £6.2m, and committed £4.3m more, in inclusive education and at reducing exclusions through my Violence Reduction Unit programmes.
The MPS has 623 Safer Schools Partnerships across London which engage with 1027 schools. If a child is missing and their whereabouts cannot be established, the MPS will work with Local Authorities to locate them, where possible.

Safer Neighbourhood Teams in South West London

Nicholas Rogers: Please provide a list of all Safer Neighbourhood Teams in South West London (i.e. Hounslow, Richmond and Kingston) and note the location where each team parades for duty.

The Mayor: The MPS publishes monthly data on its workforce (Workforce data report | Metropolitan Police). The list of wards and their Dedicated Ward Officers (DWOs) is shown in tab 13.
Most Richmond neighbourhood teams parade from Twickenham Police Station with the exceptions of Tangley Park (Hampton), Centre House (Sheen) and Lowther Rd Primary School (Barnes).
Kingston Borough safer neighbourhood teams parade from Kingston Police Station, the YMCA Surbiton, and Hook Road, Chessington.
In Hounslow the teams parade from Acton Police Station, Hounslow Police Station and Feltham Police Station.

Safe Connection initiative

Caroline Russell: How many times has the Safe Connection initiative, which allows plain clothes officers working alone to verify themselves via a video call with a uniformed sergeant, been used so far?

The Mayor: As of January 2022, the Safe Connection initiative has been used once since its launch.

Quarterly Bus Safety Data - KSIs from Near Miss Incidents

Keith Prince: After analysis of the Quarterly Bus Safety Data, which—after my repeated requests—you recently restored in downloadable form to the TfL website, I note that, during the period 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2021, 21 people have been sent to hospital by an injury-causing action that TfL’s data records 114 times in the period as an “Near Miss Incident”. Exactly what is a “Near Miss Incident” and why is this not defined anywhere in the data or on TfL’s website?

The Mayor: Please refer to my response to Mayor’s Question 2022/1216.

Met Officers Accused of Sexual Misconduct

Caroline Pidgeon: How many Met police officers have been accused of sexual misconduct in the last five years? Please break these figures down by (i) the number of accusations that resulted in disciplinary action and then further break this down by the types of disciplinary action taken e.g. cases in a criminal court, dismissal and reprimands.

The Mayor: The requested information is provided within the attached document. Accusations have been broken down into those arising from public complaints and those arising from conduct matters as different legislative requirements apply for each.
A complaint is defined under the Police Reform Act 2002 as any expression of dissatisfaction with a police force that is expressed by or on behalf of a member of the public.
A conduct manner is any matter which is not and has not been the subject of a complaint, where there is an indication (whether from the circumstances or otherwise) that a person serving with the police may have committed a criminal offence or behaved in a manner which would justify disciplinary proceedings.
There are various different means of handling allegations and subsequent outcomes depending on whether the 2012 or 2020 regulations applied at the point of recording. This means that the same means of dispensation and outcomes were not available across the whole five-year period.

The Mayor: Data Tables MQ4376.docx

The Met’s ‘Walk and Talk’ Sessions

Caroline Pidgeon: If the Met’s ‘Walk and Talk’ initiative is to have a meaningful impact it needs to reach those women who are the most untrusting of the police. How are these sessions being promoted and how is the Met reaching out to ensure women from communities which have the lowest levels of confidence in the police can take part?

The Mayor: The MPS launched their ‘Walk and Talk’ initiative across London earlier this month. The programme is supported by local media strategies designed to reach diverse groups of women in local communities. This included promoting the scheme to local VAWG partners and Independent Advisory Groups to offer places to women and groups who may have lower levels of confidence in policing.
As part of their media strategy, the MPS have also used online channels such as Eventbrite to raise awareness of the scheme amongst the general public. The scheme is accessible to all women but can also be used to hold sessions in response to a specific incident, or in an area where there are particular concerns.
The MPS will capture demographic data and feedback from participants in the Walk and Talk scheme to assess the involvement and impact on those with the lowest levels of confidence in policing.

Police helicopters

Caroline Russell: A constituent has raised concerns with me about the noise levels and costs associated with the use of police helicopters in London. Have you or the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) had discussions with National Police Air Service (NPAS) to use drones in place of helicopters where appropriate, and what issues may be preventing this already?

The Mayor: The MPS has invested heavily in drones and is working with the National Police Air Service (NPAS), the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and other forces nationally to establish a roadmap for achieving Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone use. Unfortunately, despite a national police focus on developing this as a solution, the technology is not yet at a stage where BVLOS can be used safely.
Until BVLOS can be used safely, there are two options that remain: tethered drones (with a wire going between the ground and the drone); and untethered drones. The former are immobile and therefore have a fixed field of vision, and depend upon considerable human resource to despatch, raise and manage. The latter can only fly for around 25 minutes currently and cannot be deployed without a team around it.
In addition, both are more vulnerable to severe bad weather. The helicopter and CAA regulations also stipulate that a wide sterile area must be established before they are deployed, to minimise the risk to uninvolved persons such as local residents, pedestrians or traffic. All of this means that using drones for most spontaneous incidents is not feasible currently, but work is underway to enhance the use of drones in support of pre-planned operations. The MPS also hopes that in the future the use of drones will reduce the use of police helicopters at public order events.

ATM attacks

Susan Hall: For each year 2020 and 2021 how many ATM attacks crime took place took place?

The Mayor: Please see attached the information supplied by the MPS for both MQ 1274 (cash in transit) and 1275 (ATM). The supplied notes page should be read in conjunction with the data to aid in interpretation.
It should be noted that the figures provided relate to offences where the location of the offence has been identified as an ATM. In recognition of this, the type of offence has been included within the data.

The Mayor: 1274_&_1275_CViT_ATM.xlsx

The Perception of Safety and Rebuilding Women’s Trust in the Met

Caroline Pidgeon: It was good to see the results of the Met’s Autumn Nights activity recently, which has seen an increase in action to tackle violence, including violence against women. However, I would like to understand what work has been taking place alongside this with women to help re-build trust in the police, as seeing more police on the streets may not make all women feel safe until trust is rebuilt?

The Mayor: The MPS’s successful Autumn Nights activity included over 700 hotspot patrols to keep women and girls safe, and over 500 arrests for violent and sexual offences. The introduction of their new Town Centre Teams and additional Dedicated Ward Officers (DWOs) into the busiest areas of London will see a further 650 officers put into local policing.
We are working with the MPS to oversee delivery of their VAWG Action Plan to raise standards and ensure a positive and healthy culture within the service.
My commitment to strengthening and improving accountability and oversight of the MPS is set out in my new Police and Crime Plan and my forthcoming refreshed VAWG Strategy. I am determined to ensure that everyone in London feels safer and will continue to work with the MPS to rebuild the trust and confidence of women and all Londoners.

Safety and Equality Act Consideration of Bus Routes without Adequate Bus Driver Welfare Facilities

Keith Prince: Following up on your non-response to Question 2021/4901, what proportion of routes have women’s toilets open throughout their hours of operation?

The Mayor: The majority of toilets at bus stations and on routes are unisex. Larger and busier locations have separate male and female toilets, as do bus garages
While there are some facilities that are not available outside of certain times or more recently because of COVID-19 restrictions, Transport for London and bus operators have alternative measures and guidance in place.

E-Bikes (1)

Neil Garratt: Giving details on TfL spending and specific schemes, what work has TfL done over the last 5 years to encourage the use of e-bikes in London?

The Mayor: Transport for London’s (TfL) Cycling Action Plan considers that e-bikes can play an important part in breaking down the barriers that stop many Londoners cycling, including fitness, age and journey length.
Over the past five years TfL has not participated in or invested in any e-bike schemes that have been operated under its control. However, e-bikes are due to be introduced this summer as part of the docked Santander Cycles Scheme.
TfL’s specific initiatives and spending on the promotion of e-bike over the last five years is follows:
From 2019 onwards, TfL has not run any stand-alone e-bikes campaigns, although e-bikes are mentioned in its communications as one of a number of messages periodically.
In 2020, TfL ran a media partnership with Global and Halfords, which provided two e-bikes as competition prizes to incentivise competition entry in return for a mention in the partnership. TfL did not fund the prizes. The cost to TfL of the Global partnership was £70,332.
The same year, TfL featured case studies of people who cycle in London as part of a TimeOut magazine partnership. One of the case studies was a woman who uses an e-bike. The cost to TfL of this media partnership was £34,000.

Extraordinary Funding and Financing Agreement for TfL (6)

Elly Baker: The Extraordinary Funding and Financing Agreement for Transport for London (TfL) for the period to 11 December 2021 required “Preparation of a revised medium-term capital investment programme” by 14 August 2021. Was such a program provided to the Government? If it has, will you publish a copy?

The Mayor: I can confirm that the Medium-Term Capital Plan was submitted to Government on 14 August 2021. This submission was based on Transport for London’s (TfL) Long-Term Capital Plan, which was published and discussed with TfL Board on the 28 July. A link to that document can be found here: https://content.tfl.gov.uk/board-20210728-supplementary-agenda.pdf

Tenants on the Transport for London estate

Zack Polanski: Could you provide evidence of work you have done with Transport for London (TfL) to ensure that all tenants in TfL commercial estates receive consistent support to recover from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic?

The Mayor: At the outset of the pandemic, Transport for London (TfL) was the first major landlord to announce rent relief measures for all small and medium enterprises. This included direct rent credits, freezing rent levels and allowing more time to pay down existing arrears.
TfL has maintained regular contact with its customers during the pandemic. TfL continues to offer targeted support utilising ‘Business Health Checks’ that assess the specific support that individual tenant’s need. Throughout this period, TfL has also engaged positively with trade groups including the Federation of Small Business (FSB) and the Guardians of the Arches (GOTA).
As London begins to recover, TfL is focused on continuing to support the thousands of businesses already on its estate while helping new customers join. Working with groups including the FSB and GOTA, TfL is introducing new policies in response to feedback from tenants. TfL will continue to work in partnership with the thousands of businesses on its estate to support London’s recovery.
TfL is also focused on continuing to support the thousands of businesses already on its estate while helping new customers join. It is developing an investment programme for its estate to create places that work for local communities and London as a whole.
The Greater London Authority, through the Deputy Mayor for Transport, has also engaged with tenants, specifically with Guardians of the Arches.

Hate Speech towards Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Communities (1)

Hina Bokhari: What specific actions have you taken to raise awareness and make racist hate speech directed at the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities socially unacceptable in London?

The Mayor: I have been very vocal in expressing my view that hatred and intolerance, including hate speech, is unacceptable, whichever community it is directed at. Anyone who is a victim or witness of such speech should report it to the police.
Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community organisations were among those participating in my “Together Against Hate” outreach programme last year, which included disseminating an understanding of what hate crime is and what to do when it occurs, with hate crime materials appropriate to each participating community.
MOPAC has invited the London Gypsy and Traveller Forum and other representative organisations from the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities to join the new Hate Crime Stakeholder Reference Group. The Stakeholder Reference Group will work with MOPAC, the MPS and criminal justice partners, providing transparency and accountability for how we respond to hate crime.

Quarterly Bus Safety Data - KSIs from Safety Critical Failures

Keith Prince: After analysis of the Quarterly Bus Safety Data, which – after my repeated requests – you recently restored in downloadable form to the TfL website, I note that, during the period 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2021, 14 people have been sent to hospital by an injury-causing action that TfL’s data records 83 times in the period as a “Safety Critical Failure”. Exactly what is a “Safety Critical Failure” and why is this not defined anywhere in the data or on TfL’s website?

The Mayor: Please refer to my response to Mayor’s Question 2022/1216.

Church Land and Affordable Housing (1)

Sem Moema: What discussions has the GLA had with the Church of England Commissioners following their commitment to use more church land for affordable housing?

The Mayor: I welcome this commitment. My Deputy Mayor for Housing and Residential Development has met with representatives of the Church of England regarding the potential for the GLA to support the delivery of affordable housing on church land, and my Public Land team continues to engage with them. It is too early to comment on whether there will be an active collaboration.

Church Land and Affordable Housing (2)

Sem Moema: Has there been any estimation of the number of affordable homes that could be delivered on church land across London?

The Mayor: No estimate has been made of the number of affordable homes that could be accommodated on church-owned land across London but this land could potentially contribute towards providing more affordable homes in London. Diversifying both land supply and providers of affordable housing is key to addressing London's housing crisis and I welcome the call by the Independent Commission on Housing, Church and Community that the Church of England commits to using its land assets to promote more truly affordable homes (see Coming Home Tackling the housing crisis together page 5). Please also see my answer to the question on how much land the Church of England owns in London (2018/0186).

Making the LFB a Statutory Consultee on Complex Building Applications

Hina Bokhari: Will you consider updating your London Plan so that there is a requirement for the LFB to be a consultee on all complex building applications?

The Mayor: The safety of Londoners is my priority and so I am currently consulting on new guidance which sets out how developers should demonstrate compliance with the detailed policies in my London Plan to achieve the highest standards in fire safety and safe and dignified evacuations. I am also working with the LFB to consider the most appropriate form and route for their involvement in planning applications that are referred to me.
Statutory consultees are determined by the Government and set out in statute. The Health and Safety Executive is the statutory consultee for fire safety for defined developments.

White Hart Lane and Great Cambridge Roundabout

Joanne McCartney: There are ongoing issues of illegal U-turning at the junction of White Hart Lane and the Great Cambridge Roundabout.
1 – Have the promised new cameras been installed?
2 – Are all cameras here in full working order?
3 – How many fines have been issued in this location since the installation of new cameras?

The Mayor: 1) Two enforcement cameras were installed at the junction of Great Cambridge Roundabout and White Hart Lane in January 2022
2) Both cameras are in the testing stages prior to being made operational at the end of March 2022.
3) There will be a two-week warning notice period prior to Penalty Charge Notices being issued to drivers making the banned movement

Pudding Mill Allotments (2)

Caroline Pidgeon: Will you ensure LLDC engages with the Manor Garden Society and owners of Pudding Mill Allotments to understand their concerns over planned high-rise developments adjacent to the allotments?

The Mayor: LLDC has engaged with Manor Garden Society throughout the master planning process and will continue to engage with Manor Garden Society and owners of Pudding Mill Allotments on the detailed design and future Reserved Matters applications.

Green roofs on bus shelters

Hina Bokhari: Further to your answer to question 2021/1417 when will TfL’s evaluation of the trial of green bus shelter roofs be completed and the results published?

The Mayor: Following the summer growing season, Transport for London (TfL) has now evaluated the performance of five green bus shelter roofs in Lewisham.
The draft report of the trial includes an assessment of the benefits of the green roofs, alongside other options such as trees, wildflower verges and shrub beds to help increase biodiversity across London. It has been decided to extend the study into 2022 at the same location (Lewisham) before TfL finalises the report and determines its policy in this area. At present, TfL will not formally publish the report but it is available upon request.

EWS1 Forms and Building Surveyors

Hina Bokhari: Although I welcome your recent guidance for landlords on obtaining EWS1 assessments, it fails to address the national shortage of building surveyors, which is having a significant impact on obtaining EWS1 forms here in London. We know that as of November 2021 Government had only funded an extra 50 assessors out of a planned 2,000. What more is City Hall doing to get building surveyors trained here in London so that EWS1 forms can be issued more quickly?

The Mayor: My EWS1 guidance aims to promote good practice within the remit of landlords, so that leaseholders are better supported when EWS1 assessments are required for their buildings. Systemic issues, such as a skills gap, are important to address but are beyond the scope of the guidance.
I recognise that these issues have contributed to the delays and challenges leaseholders have experienced. However, this is a national problem requiring a national response and I have consistently made the case to government that rapid funding needs to be made available to train up and attract assessors.

London’s night-time economy (3)

Marina Ahmad: What has been the overall impact of Omicron on London’s LGBTQI+ venues?

The Mayor: LGBTQ+ venues play a vital role in supporting the community, acting as a safe spaces where people feel comfortable and free to be who they are. But alongside other night time businesses, they have been hit hard by the pandemic, being some of the first to close and the last to open to help stop the spread of COVID.
Omicron arrived at what should have been the busiest time of year for night time, culture, leisure and hospitality businesses. National figures from the Night Time Industries Association revealed that, on average, night time venues suffered £46,000 each in lost sales and cancellations during the festive period.
Night time businesses still face ongoing challenges, with jobs and skills shortages in the hospitality industry and rising energy costs. I continue to call on the government to do more to support these businesses, including keeping VAT at the lower rate of 12.5 per cent.
I’m continuing to support LGBTQ+ venues through my Safer Sounds Partnership with advice and training, to make sure they can play a part in our economic and social recovery.

London’s night-time economy (2)

Marina Ahmad: Can you provide data on the impact of Omicron on each of the following sectors of the night-time economy in London, in terms of takings, employment and costs:
Theatres


Nightclubs


Hospitality


Retail


Pubs


Live music


Museums

The Mayor: London’s night time businesses, culture, retail and hospitality and their workers have been hit hard by the pandemic, with many being some of the first to close and the last to open to help stop the spread of COVID.
Omicron arrived at what should have been the busiest time of year for night time, culture, leisure and hospitality businesses. National figures from the Night Time Industries Association revealed that, on average, night time venues suffered £46,000 each in lost sales and cancellations during the festive period, with UK Hospitality reporting a £3bn hit to its members compared to 2019. The GLA does not hold the above detailed data in relation to specific Omicron impacts.
Night time businesses still face ongoing challenges, with jobs and skills shortages in the hospitality industry and rising energy costs. I continue to call on the government to do more to support these businesses, including keeping VAT at the lower rate of 12.5 per cent.

Apprenticeships (1)

Marina Ahmad: Can you provide me with a breakdown of apprenticeships started in London, by sector and by borough, further broken down by level and academic year quarter since August 2019 to date?

The Mayor: In response to your request for data on apprenticeships in London boroughs, we are providing an accompanying spreadsheet containing the relevant information.

The Mayor: MQ Response 2022.1023- 2022.1027 Marina Ahmad Evidence v2.xlsx

GLA Menopause policy

Marina Ahmad: I welcome your announcement of a world-leading menopause policy for the GLA. How will you be encouraging employers across London to implement their own Menopause policy?

The Mayor: Thank you.
Employers have a responsibility to create inclusive workplaces and that includes ensuring there is an understanding of the menopause and how it can affect staff. There should be no stigma associated with it. By opening up this conversation, I want to show that a workplace discussion about menopause is normal.
I encourage all employers in London to put in place practical steps to better support colleagues going through menopause transition and to introduce measures to shift perceptions surrounding menopause in the workplace.
I am therefore reaching out to my Good Work Standard community of over 100 accredited employers, as well as major business groups and key business stakeholders, encouraging them to promote the policy to their networks. My Deputy Mayor for Business and I are also promoting the policy through newsletters and social media to business and wider audiences. I have been very encouraged by the positive response so far.

Apprenticeships (3)

Marina Ahmad: Can you provide me with a breakdown of apprenticeships started in London, by sector and by borough, further broken down by level and broken down again by gender by academic year quarter since August 2019 to date?

The Mayor: In response to your request for data on apprenticeships in London boroughs, we are providing an accompanying spreadsheet containing the relevant information. Please note that data is only available annually for academic year 2020/21. Figures less than 5 have been supressed, and other figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.

The Mayor: MQ Response 2022.1023- 2022.1027 Marina Ahmad Evidence v2.xlsx

Apprenticeships (2)

Marina Ahmad: Can you provide me with a breakdown of apprenticeships started in London, by sector and by borough, further broken down by level and broken down again by age by academic year quarter since August 2019 to date?

The Mayor: In response to your request for data on apprenticeships in London boroughs, we are providing an accompanying spreadsheet containing the relevant information. Please note that age has been grouped as: Under 19, 19-24 and 25+.

The Mayor: MQ Response 2022.1023- 2022.1027 Marina Ahmad Evidence v2.xlsx

Apprenticeships (5)

Marina Ahmad: Can you provide me with a breakdown of apprenticeships started in London, by sector and by borough, further broken down by level and broken down again by disability by academic year quarter since August 2019 to date?

The Mayor: In response to your request for data on apprenticeships in London boroughs, we are providing an accompanying spreadsheet containing the relevant information. Please note that data for starts by learning difficulty/disability or health problem (LLDD) status is only available annually for academic years 2019/20 and 2020/21, and a breakdown by disability and sector is not readily available.

The Mayor: MQ Response 2022.1023- 2022.1027 Marina Ahmad Evidence v2.xlsx

Apprenticeships (4)

Marina Ahmad: Can you provide me with a breakdown of apprenticeships started in London, by sector and by borough, further broken down by level and broken down again by ethnicity by academic year quarter since August 2019 to date?

The Mayor: In response to your request for data on apprenticeships in London boroughs, we are providing an accompanying spreadsheet containing the relevant information. Please note that data is only available annually for academic year 2020/21. Figures less than 5 have been supressed, and other figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.

The Mayor: MQ Response 2022.1023- 2022.1027 Marina Ahmad Evidence v2.xlsx

Statutory sick pay

Marina Ahmad: What conversations have you had with the Government regarding increasing Statutory Sick Pay in light of removing restrictions and free testing for COVID? What has their response been?

The Mayor: I have been clear throughout the pandemic that the eligibility and rate of Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) fails to adequately support those who need to self-isolate; which has been counterproductive to preventing the spread of Covid-19. This has been raised repeatedly with the Government, including in my communications with the Prime Minister, Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, and yet the Government fails to do the right thing. I will continue to make the case for Government to remove the minimum earnings threshold for SSP and increase the rate of pay so that it is the equivalent of the London Living Wage.

TfL funding settlement

Marina Ahmad: What impact will the latest TfL funding settlement have on London’s economy?

The Mayor: The latest funding settlement means that in the short term, Transport for London (TfL) can continue the operation and maintenance of essential and safe transport services in London, allowing it to continue its vital contribution to London’s and the wider UK’s economy.
It also confirms Government’s intent to continue to support with the cost of operations beyond June (on TfL’s way to achieving financial sustainability by April 2023), and with longer-term capital investment, recognising the need for certainty and stability over its capital investment pipeline.
The extent to which this funding is sufficient to meet TfL’s needs will be absolutely pivotal to TfL’s ability to support London’s economy, which will be severely damaged unless the current ‘managed decline’ scenario for London’s transport network can be avoided.

Potential changes to Met police Training

Nicholas Rogers: What changes in police training in the Met are envisioned to stop negative opinions about the police and improve police relations with the public, especially around tactics such as stop and search and issues involving hate crime and domestic violence? (This question is submitted on behalf of the sixth formers of St. Catherine’s School, Twickenham)

The Mayor: My Action Plan on Increasing Transparency, Accountability and Trust in policing made a number of commitments to integrate the community into police training, to ensure the public’s perspective is understood and improve police/community relations.
I have asked the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to ensure communities are more closely involved in the design of new police learning and development and community members are involved in providing training and community awareness sessions to support new recruits in the policing of London. The MPS will also incorporate direct community input into specific aspects of the training given to new recruits across the service.
In support of broadening the conversations with communities on the use of stop and search, the MPS is working with Mentivity in Lambeth and Southwark on a pilot programme that brings together 500 frontline officers (new recruits and established officers) within community led workshops on cultural equality.
A new Learning and Development Community Reference Group has also been established to help shape the MPS’s training and development programmes.
A detailed update on all of this work is available at: Action Plan - Transparency, Accountability and Trust in Policing | London City Hall
In respect of hate crime, I will not tolerate anyone in London being targeted simply because of who they are. The increase in the number of reports suggests that more victims and witnesses feel confident that they will get a robust response from the police and support to help them cope with what has happened to them. The training of officers dealing with hate crime, and the support victims receive, is very much based on what those targeted by hate crime tell us is required.

Public transport charges for full-time students

Nicholas Rogers: Should Londoners in full time education be charged for public transport to and from their place of education? (This question is submitted on behalf of the sixth formers of St. Catherine’s School, Twickenham)

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) offers a wide range of concessions to help students travel in London.
Children under 18 can apply for one of TfL’s Zip Oyster cards which gives free bus and tram travel and discounted Tube and rail travel on all TfL and most National Rail services.
The 18+ Student card gives reduced-rate travel to help students get to college and university in London each day.
All young people aged between 16 and 25 years can get discounted off-peak pay as you go travel with a 16-25 Railcard, regardless of where or if they are studying, and those in full-time education over the age of 25 can also benefit. Then, whether they continue studying or not, the 26-30 Railcard also gives discounted off-peak pay as you go travel.
I’m proud that TfL offers these schemes to support young Londoners and those in full time education.

Homes on Public Land

Sem Moema: How many homes have a) been started or b) been completed on public land between 2016/17 and 2020/21? Please provide a breakdown by financial year and a further breakdown showing how many of the homes were affordable versus open market.

The Mayor: Using data submitted by Local Planning Authorities, the starts on site of homes on land owned by public bodies in London since 2017 are as follows broken down by financial year. Data prior to 2017 is unreliable in this area and therefore has been omitted to avoid confusion.
2017-18
2018-19
2019-20
TOTAL
TOTAL
10,052
11,178
9,991
31,221
Market for sale
5,563
7,484
5,463
18,510
Affordable
4,489
3,694
4,528
12,711
% affordable
45%
33%
45%
41%
The methodology for collecting the data changed in mid-2020-21 and there remains a data gap for that year. The Planning team is working to update the information.

The A406 Between the Waterworks and Charlie Brown’s Roundabouts

Emma Best: Will TfL launch a programme to cleanse the A406 from the Waterworks Roundabout to Charlie Brown’s Roundabout, removing the graffiti and making sure there is a regular schedule of rubbish collection?

The Mayor: The responsibility for cleansing and removal of litter for all London’s roads sits with the local borough and comes under their EPA (Environmental Protection Act) duties. Transport for London (TfL) is responsible for graffiti removal placed directly on its assets. Graffiti reported through routine highway inspections, or by members of the public on [emailprotected] will be addressed within approximately a 28-day period.
TfL is aware of the repeat issues along this corridor ongoing for several years. To address this, some of its highway structures have had an anti-graffiti coating applied, which enables contractors to remove it much more easily by jetting with water. Other preventative measures have been explored, but unfortunately were not practical.

Noise on the London Underground (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: Please provide a breakdown of noise complaints on the London Underground by (a) line and (b) month since the year 2018.

The Mayor: As I set out in my answer to Mayor’s Question 2022/0920, Tube noise remains a priority for me and Transport for London (TfL). TfL carries out practical action where possible, within its financial and engineering constraints, to alleviate noise disturbance.
Please find attached a spreadsheet outlining residential noise complaints since January 2018.

The Mayor: 0919 Noise on the London Underground (1).xlsx

Breathe London Sensors (2)

Hina Bokhari: How many Breathe London air monitoring nodes have been bought since the online shop was launched?

The Mayor: The National Investigation Service (NATIS) lead investigations on the most serious cases of this type of fraud.
The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) recording system does not have a specific search criteria for this type of fraud. Therefore, it is not possible to state how many arrests have been made by the MPS for individuals suspected of defrauding the Government through improper use of Covid support loans.

Borough Healthy Streets funding (2)

Siân Berry: Thank you for your answer to my question 2021/4860. I have attempted to use the figures provided in discussions with campaigners, but concerns have been raised about figures that remain listed for schemes that have not been implemented. What process are you following to reclaim or reallocate money given to boroughs for new walking and cycling infrastructure schemes that have been removed or cancelled?

The Mayor: Where there are legitimate reasons for withdrawing a scheme prior to delivery, Transport for London (TfL) may agree to pay the borough’s costs for design and consultation up to the point of the decision. Where this is the case, TfL will need to understand the evidence for withdrawal as it may influence future decisions for funding agreed through the Active Travel Oversight Group established as part of TfL’s funding discussions with the Government, and tasked with the oversight of TfL’s allocation of funding for active travel schemes.
Boroughs claim funding in arrears, and TfL reserves the right to withdraw advance allocations where schemes do not meet required objectives. Under Section 159 of the GLA Act, TfL may require boroughs to repay any funding provided or withhold future funding where the removal or substantial alteration of works is carried out without prior written agreement from TfL. Boroughs are asked to submit details of any funding claims and may be audited. Where schemes are withdrawn, TfL welcomes alternative proposals for funding that set out to achieve similar aims. Where the borough cannot suggest an alternative, funding is allocated to active travel proposals from other boroughs that meet the required criteria.

Bus Action Plan and Vision Zero

Tony Devenish: With regard to your Bus Action Plan and Vision Zero, will you update the Assembly with interim targets for maximum numbers of KSIs for every year from 2023 to 2029?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has set additional interim targets for London’s buses in the journey towards achieving zero deaths and serious injuries across London’s roads by 2041. These interim targets are:
The Bus Action Plan supports this commitment and emphasises the breadth of work being undertaken through TfL’s Bus Safety Programme. As the number of people killed or seriously injured reduces to lower numbers, it can be unhelpful to focus on year on year fluctuations, and it is right that TfL instead focuses on trends, which are a better indicator of continuous improvement. TfL will continue to report each year on the number of people killed or seriously injured on the London bus network.

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has set additional interim targets for London’s buses in the journey towards achieving zero deaths and serious injuries across London’s roads by 2041. These interim targets are:
The Bus Action Plan supports this commitment and emphasises the breadth of work being undertaken through TfL’s Bus Safety Programme. As the number of people killed or seriously injured reduces to lower numbers, it can be unhelpful to focus on year on year fluctuations, and it is right that TfL instead focuses on trends, which are a better indicator of continuous improvement. TfL will continue to report each year on the number of people killed or seriously injured on the London bus network.

TfL Funding for Islington (2)

Emma Best: How much TfL funding for School Streets/People Friendly Streets/Low Traffic Neighbourhoods is forecasted to go to Islington in the next financial year?

The Mayor: In February, Transport for London (TfL) reached a funding agreement with Government for the fourth funding period, which covers the period from 25 February until 24 June 2022.
While the funding agreement instructed TfL to set aside £50 million for Active Travel projects, there was no additional government funding provided specifically for this purpose. Furthermore, at this stage, there is no certainty of funding levels or conditions beyond June. As a consequence, this funding agreement only allows TfL to plan and progress to the level of commitments as outlined in the TfL Budget - which is based upon a ‘Managed Decline’ assumption. A further condition was the requirement for the joint DfT-TfL Active Travel Oversight Group (ATOG) to restart, overseeing this funding.
TfL intends to allocate £9.4 million to boroughs, to be committed by 24 June 2022. In addition, TfL will allocate a further £3m of GLA funding to boroughs for green infrastructure - bringing the total to £12.4m. This will include funding for cycle routes, bus priority projects, continuation of Crossrail Complementary Measures, further short-term improvements at Holborn gyratory (as well as design funding for longer-term transformational measures), and Local Implementation Plan funding. TfL intends to write to individual boroughs before the end of March to confirm their allocations, subject to engagement with ATOG.